Cross Ice

by Crimrose-A-Bee

Snow Hisayuki moves to the mysterious "Lost City" of Akutetsu in search of closure for a damaging past she could never truly overcome. When she becomes faced with pure magic, friendships she feels she doesn't deserve, and the burden of her first love, she realizes just how much of her life she lost to despair. However, she soon realizes that she holds a deadly mystery of her own...

13. Chapter XI- The Sound Of Sadness

HO-LEE SHIT.

LIKE HONESTLY, JUST HOLY SHIT.

Not only did this take me FOREVER, mostly because I had horrible writer's block, but it's the LONGEST CHAPTER YET BY FAR. I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE, AND UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY IF YOU JUST SKIM. HONESTLY, THIS IS JUST GETTING SAD.

Apologies as always for being late; I really need to stop procrastinating. But enough of my mumbling! I'll just let you get on with this MONSTER.

~Crimrose

Chapter XI

The Sound Of Sadness

Musical prowess had never been one of my greatest strengths. Sure, I could play the guitar decently, and my singing wasn't too bad, but the only other relation I had to the art was that I listened to it more often than not. But I knew what that instrument was, flowing through the emptying, dark streets in the night. The pitch would move from high to low very slowly, and I couldn't help but think of sobbing and whining. Like the violin- or the violinist- was crying.

Despite it being none of my business, I set my jaw and went to go investigate, turning in the opposite direction from home, towards the one, large city park. My Charas followed silently, as intrigued as I was, so the only sound to be heard was the faraway music and my shoes scuffling against the sidewalk as I moved somewhat hurriedly down the blocks. I wanted to reach the player before the song ended and they had left. But why, I didn't know. It was a strange sort of feeling coursing through my chest at that moment, one that felt like... addiction. It was the sort of music you could listen to over and over again, and just want to keep hearing it. This surprised me more than usual, because typically I wasn't one for classical instruments.

The entrance to the park was surprisingly classic and gothic; a wrought-iron fence that was still a clean, glossy black wrapped around the large perimeter, trapping in the voluptuous gardens and withering trees. This close, one was also able to hear the tinkling of a river, right there in the middle of the city like a canal. The leaves dusting and skittering across the ground were more of a brownish blood red in the moonlight, grazing and getting caught in the yellowing grass. The flower gardens were minimal as well, the supposed cold causing them to cave in on themselves in an attempt at warmth and slowly be left to die. The thought was grim, but I smiled at them nonetheless, reminded of the red spider lilies that afternoon, easily swaying in the breeze and adding fireworks of colour to a beautiful landscape.

As I wandered around the park, playing a game of Hot and Cold with myself as the music grew closer or further away, I was able to discern that the music wasn't just sad with its slow, changing tones; it was peaceful, as well. Halycon, really. Like one's cares and worries were being released with each note with words unspoken, hidden promises drifting in the wind. I found my smile widening as I listened, finally understanding what Vivian had meant when she said that one could express themselves in a variety of ways; this person, whoever it was, was expressing themselves through their playing.

It surprised me to find that the musician was not on the circular pedestal in the middle of the park, where someone should have gone if they wanted to play music and be heard. The stone was dauntingly empty, fallen leaves gracing it and the stone steps that lead up to it so it didn't remain in complete solitude. I heaved a frustrated sigh and placed a hand on my hip, looking out towards the glimmering river. Even with a convenience store bag swinging from my wrist, and my Shugo Chara buzzing around me in frustration, I had to admit that I'd never felt like I did right then. For the first time, it was like I was really taking in the environment around me as I listened to the harmonious tune. Each rustle of the wind through the trees, each splash of water running over rock in the brook, seemed to be a sort of accompaniment.

That was strange. Again, I had a sudden realization that made my eyes snap and brighten and hightened my search for the musician. This was what was called "muse", when people absorbed the scenery and environments around them and turned it into art. I felt proud of myself, beamingly so, and my walk got a swagger to it. I took another piece of beef jerky and split it into smaller pieces for the girls to take from my hand and eat. It tickled each time they brushed down to obtain another piece and chew on it, and I couldn't help but giggle.

Judging by the volume of the sound, I was getting warmer. I was weaving through an area of the park that was rapidly becoming more of a conservation area in my mind, the tall, twisted trees working as a maze. When I stepped out from underneath ones branches that clawed at my shirt, trying to reel me into the world of muse, I grunted and swat them away, causing me to stumble, and find myself staring at the musician, illuminated by the supple moon.

Then my once joyous expression twisted into a scowl. But that, too, soon fell away after I watched him for a while, leaves getting caught in my hair but not bothering me in the slightest. I could easily recognize that lithe, panther-like form anywhere now, which gave me conflicting feelings of smugness and disgust, but at the moment I felt no need to either turn away (as per usual) or grow closer. I just wanted to watch and listen.

Ikuto had his violin with him the first night we met. I had asked him if he played, and the answer was obvious. He said it wasn't that hard if you were used to it; he was clearly more than just used to it. It seemed to come as naturally as breathing to him as his hands were surprisingly gentle when handling the luciously brown, curved instrument. The way he weaved the bow had more finesse and technique than I'd ever seen before, but that wasn't saying much. However, even to a music amateur like myself, it was clear to tell that he was what could be considered a prodigy.

We couldn't have been that many years apart, maybe none at all, but he was a virtuoso. He must have begun playing from a very early age, when the brain is more adept to learning, to orchestrate a single instrument to scream volumes like he did. His expression, near pallid in the moonlight, was definitely one of tranquility. His normally perked eyebrows were smoothed and settled, his eyes actually closed as he played, his black bird wings of eyelashes falling gently over the tops of his high cheek bones. I felt like a total creep just watching him, taking in every angle of his face, but I couldn't help it. His music was haunting. Enchanting, almost.

For someone filled with so much perverseness and angst, his music was so gentle. The hands that had crushed a Heart's Egg only nights ago seemed achingly fragile. The notes he played went from high-pitched breaths to lower sighs, and clearly reflected the emotion of melancholy, even to a noob like myself. It was a piece I had never heard before, but again, that wasn't saying much; the only things I was really familiar with were Canon and Ave Maria, and that was because my father would listen to and hum them whenever he was thinking hard about something.

The piece was obviously coming to an end, with the way the notes begun to slow more and more, their sad tones stamped in my mind forever. I noticed a smiIle, more gentle than ever before, was on my face. Something about watching the brooding, enigmatic cat-boy like this made me feel happy, so surprisingly happy. I was happy that, for once, he didn't seem on edge. That even he could let his worries go and just be at peace for once.

That didn't mean I wanted him to know that, though. So with one fleeting glance back at him, I turned and went to go home, carrying this secret concert with me for a long time. But then one of the ravenous tree branches tugged painfully at my hair, and I accidentally let out an infuriated cry of pain. With a sudden, high-pitched screech, the playing came to a stop, and the smile on my face turned from peaceful to wry. Goddammit.

"What are you doing here?" Ikuto called instantly, his voice harsher than I was used to. The violin and bow were at his sides, his hands still gentle around them, but his gaze was fierce. Like I had been doing something wrong by watching him. Well, whatever. I do what I want and you can't stop me!

"What does it look like?" I retorted gruffly, crossing my arms impatiently as my Shugo Chara worked to free my hair from the stupid, stupid branch. "I was listening to you play."

Even from a distance, I saw his snapping blue eyes narrow. "Eavesdropper," he called, his tone accusing, and I heaved a frustrated sigh. That was exacty why I didn't want him to know I was there.

"Well, if you didn't want anyone to listen," I started, my hair finally freed from the traitorous nature, "then you shouldn't be playing out in the open, should you."

The most startling thing I had ever seen from him happened: he began to pout, and honest-to-goodness pout. His lips puckered and his eyebrows drew down, then he turned around like a child and began packing up his instrument in the white, velvety case.

Something drove my feet forward to stand nearer to him, to have an actual conversation with him about his music. It made him seem like there was so much more than twisted smirks and perverse innuendos to him. For the first time in my life, I wanted to know more about the person beneath all of those facades, the one who's music sounded like the amplified sounds of a heart breaking.

"You're stopping?" I demanded, climbing the steps to the gazebo he had been playing underneath. It was made of a croaking wood with chipping white paint, not as well-kept of the rest of the place, but giving it a more charming feel. The milieu design of the roof made beams of rafters weave through the ceiling on the inside in a complex pattern, making the space seem all the more enclosed and intimate. There were no actual walls; just columns holding the structure up, and benches on the right and left side with ornate carvings and iron detail.

"Yeah," he said simply, his voice returning to its usual, noncommittal self. The lifted feeling in my chest that had risen from the moment I heard his music deflated like a balloon popped with a needle. I didn't want him to stop. Because of what I had heard coming from his violin, I was finally able to understand the term "beautiful music". It was music that made you feel, that gave you a sense of intrapersonality and reach deep within yourself to think. Hearing it made me feel connected to him as a person, somehow. It made me realize that we both had things to be sad about, things we could never say out loud. And so we hid them, only expressing those feelings when we were alone.

"Aw, come on," I began, aiming for lightheartedness but sounding just desperate. "I didn't mean for you to stop. You should keep playing."

"The song's already over."

In one sweeping motion, he stood and hitched the strap of his violin case over one shoulder. I watched disappointedly as he rummaged in his pocket for something, obviously not planning on playing for me ever again, and emerged with a knit hat that he slipped over his head after smoothing his bangs back. When he turned to face me, he noticed the intensity of the scowl I was giving him, and his mouth twitched upwards in amusement. It was the first time I noticed what he was wearing; the stupid hat that revealed his spotless, pale face, a black and white-striped shirt, black leather jacket, dark, distressed denim jeans, and combat boots. Mother of God, I thought to myself, burning on the inside with the flames of resentment and sin. Why does he have to be so hot? How is this even possible?

I chose to ignore those thoughts, to push them to the very darkest corners of my mind so Ikuto wouldn't see my drooling admiration written all over my face. "Why didn't you play in the middle of the park?" I asked instead, remembering the first question that had popped into my head when i had come looking for the source of the music. "More people would hear you that way."

He just shrugged, the leather on his shoulders catching the moonlight and illuminating their sturdy form. "I'm not playing for other people to listen."

I knew that. He was playing for himself.

"Speaking of," he started, lowering his voice to a slightly more seductive pitch. It automatically caused me to take a wary step back, the eyes of my Shugo Chara widening in anticipation, but he caught up in a step of his own, a small smile on his face. Not a smirk- a smile. "Don't tell anyone about this," he murmured, his warm breath ruffling the hair around my face. I hated it when he did that, got all close to me and stared at me with those big, ultramarine eyes that always carried a slight smolder in them whenever we became as close as we were. It made me squirm, internally and externally, and not want to look away when I knew I should. "It'll be a secret," he added, changing the angle of his face so his smile became more intimate. "Just between the two of us."

For once, I was extremely glad my expression didn't betray what I was really feeling- while I looked like I had just eaten a whole lemon, bite by bite, I felt tempted, completely drawn in to his suggestive gaze and unwavering posture. Just between the two of us sounded nice. Though every meeting we'd had up until now had been just between us, anyway. I didn't want the Guardians to be suspicious of me, to think that I was shamelessly fraternizing with the enemy when in reality it all happened to be a coincidence- or, at least I thought it was. Nonetheless, I realized that just stopping seeing Ikuto wasn't an option for me anymore. Enemy or not, I didn't want to go out of my way to avoid him just because it was "bad"; I wanted to learn more about him, more about the person who played the violin beautifully and without a care in the world.

Not that I'd ever tell him that.

I turned around and hmphed, just in time so he didn't see my face go so completely red it matched the autumn leaves dancing on the ground, their dusting and skittering noises giving me some comfort in knowing that this was really happening, and I wasn't just imagining having this conversation. "I- I guess I don't have to tell anyone," I stumbled stubbornly, and the girls sighed.

"Why is she always so dishonest?" Satsuki asked no one in particular, sounding genuinely upset.

"Beats me," Vivian responded gruffly. "I think she's just shy."

I whirled around so quickly my long hair smacked them down and they cried out in frustration. "Shut your mouths," I hissed, and looked up to see that Ikuto looked like he was trying very hard not to enjoy himself. He was smiling, albeit begrudgingly, but his eyebrows were screwed up in a way that said 'it can't be helped'. My face burned even more, my mouth opening and closing like a stunned fish as I struggled for words, but I gave up in the end and looked away again, my expression softening.

"By the way," he said lightly, finally standing upright and not leaning right in front of me. "I don't play for free."

All the walls I had were thrown up instantly, and I narrowed my eyes. "What do you- oh!" I rummaged in my convenience store bag that still swung from my wrist, and pulled out a pack of chocolate wafers with a big, proud smile. "Here."

He raised his eyebrows, but still took the pack and tore it open, popping a crunchy cookie in his mouth. "I was going for more of an innuendo effect, but thanks anyway."
My smile turned smug. "I know you were. I just know you well enough by now to detect them and effectively avoid them."

"Oh, you do, huh." His voice was skeptical, and his eyes were directed out towards the curled trees instead of at me.

"Yes indeed," I responded easily, stealing on from the pack and munching on it thoughtfully. "Anytime there's even the slightest opportunity, you'll use it to insinuate something dirty." His eyes lit up in amusement when he heard me say that, like he was talking to a child. "Which I don't understand. Apparently you have a habit of not saying too much of anything to anybody else."

Ikuto turned away from me completely this time and retreated back beneath the gazebo's roof to sit on one of the antiqued benches, throwing his arms over the back and resting his wrists on the edge. "People talk too much," he said simply, though there was an edge to his voice that wasn't there before.

After a moment's hesitation, I went to sit beside him, keeping plenty of space between us. My Shugo Chara raised their eyebrows, but remained silent. "I guess so," I said in response, looking anywhere but at him. "Looks like Mr. Popularity has a lot of rumours going around about him."

He was smirking all over again. "Sorry. I can't help it if people are attracted to my good looks."

Then he immediately lapsed into near-hysterical laughter when he saw the disgruntled expression my face. "You're so- so- mean," I gasped, barely audible over his low-pitched snickering. "You're so mean and you own a leather jacket and you're just plain rude."

He sat up properly again, quirking one eyebrow. "What does my wardrobe choice have to do with anything?"

"A leather jacket practically screams asshole."

"You own a leather jacket, too," he pointed out.

"I never said I wasn't an asshole."

This time he snorted, like the very concept of my being an asshole was insulting to him. "You're not an asshole," he muttered so easily, so carelessly that I was thrown for a moment. "You're too nice for your own good. Scratch that- you might just be dumber than you look if you're actually making an effort-" his eyes took on a knife-like glint to them as his smirk twisted further, "-to chat with an enemy like myself."

And suddenly I was standing from the bench, my metaphorical feathers ruffled and pride taking a blow. "I'm leaving," I grumbled amidst his whole new set of chuckles.

"Wait, wait, wait," he coughed, trying to drown out his amusement. "I was kidding- you don't look dumb. Jeez, you're so fun to play with."

"I'M NOT A DAMN TOY!"

"Maybe not from your perspective," he said with a shrug, his expression all smugness and laughing blue eyes. "But from mine, I've never had such a funny little mouse to mess around with."

My eyes snapped downwards into a threatening glare, and my own mouth twisted into one of its more crooked grins. "Don't think for one second that mice don't bite as well."

"Ooh." He put a hand to the left side of his chest, an odd expression on his face. "I think I'd like it if you bit me, though."

"THAT'S IT, I'M GONE."

"Can't get mad at honesty, Snow." Lilith, Vivian, and Satsuki all had gasps ripped from their throats and their faces become the embodiments of bright red flames when Ikuto grabbed two long chunks of hair swinging over my chest, wrapped them around his hands a few times, bringing my face so close to his that I didn't dare move, breathe, or even think. Our noses were touching. Our noses were touching! my thoughts screamed, and the reality of the situation made the tip of his own pointed nose hot from my own bodily heat leaking out. "It doesn't make you very cute."

This time I tried tugging my head away, but it hurt; his grip on my hair was tight. I turned to look at him again, my expression yielding and completely abashed, but it fell into surprise when I saw his expression. It was like a kid staring into the window of a vividly coloured, delicious looking candy store, knowing he didn't have enough money to buy anything but wanting it desperately anyway. No one had ever looked at me like that before, and the effect was all the more aplified without his hair falling in his eyes and hiding most of his expression. The black hat revealed everything to me; longing, hopelessness, a bit of anger. His breath was right on my lips, and I became deadweight as I fell backwards and blacked out momentarily.

With a hooting laugh, he caught me, barely able to hold on from how much he was shaking. I was trembling in rage and embarrassment, every inch of me red and ashamed and wishing with all my being that I could just explode and die, when a large thud came from the cluster of trees, and a body fell to the ground.

"Whoa," Ikuto snorted, clamping a hand over his mouth when he realized he probably shouldn't have been laughing. "I think you're embarrassment is contagious."

"Shut up," I said lightly, almost endearingly, righting myself and rushing over to the person- a girl about our age- with him hot on my heels.

As we came closer and closer to the girl- chestnut brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and dark eyelashes clawing at her cheeks- we both saw that she was completely unconscious, her chest moving only slightly with her breathing. Upon even closer speculation, our paces slowed as we registered the slight wetness in her hair and the red staining the white collar of her shirt, and Ikuto automatically- and completely unexpectedly- moved in front of me to shield the view.

Well, that was unbelievably protective and chivalrous of him. I got that weird, swelling feeling in my chest that made me physically ache and my bones creak when I looked at the defensive set of his jaw, at his narrowed eyes, but I didn't mind anything I was about to see. I had already seen some pretty rough stuff, being stuck in a hospital for a month and chomped on by some sort of spiritual fox that afternoon, and stepped around him to reach her. His eyes were narrowed at me, but I looked at him reassuringly, silently telling him that whatever it was, was okay.

Eerily silent, I kneeled before her slight, thin little body- looking so easily broken, and checked her all over for any indication of a wound, probing her head with my two fingers to feel for a bump. When I came up empty, I turned her to the side, letting her hair fall away from her shoulders and leaving a few strands to stick to her bloody neck from the copious amount of liquid there. Streaming from two little circular incisions that looked like they had been made from two needles stationed at an exactly parallel point. I said nothing still, and moved like a robot when I shuffled my phone out of my purse and called the police.

Ikuto and I fled the scene before they got there, though, not willing to deal with any interviews or questions at that moment. And by fled, I mean that when sirens began wailing in the distance, he grabbed my hand and bolted, saying nothing, showing nothing on his face. I was the same. What I said that afternoon kept coming back to haunt me, as I knew it would. Who's to say that other things aren't real, too? Stupid me. I'd seen movies (scornfully), with Mao and then my foster family, and knew mythical lore well enough to guess what those little marks on her neck could've meant.

But really? Vampires? That seemed a bit too unbelievable, even considering everything that had happened.

Surely it was just someone's idea of a stupid prank. But who would do something like that, anyway? Her face wasn't a golden tan like the rest of her; it was pallid, the blood running out of it from her neck. Not to mention that she was so close to Ikuto and I when it had happened. It was right out in the open, with two loud people nearby. If it really was someone's idea of a practical joke, it was very clumsy, too clumsy to have been carefully thought out. If anything, it seemed random. Like someone had just picked her up off the streets, willing to do it to anyone...

Just like an animal would when looking for prey.

"Well, that was a mood-killer," Ikuto muttered from in front of me as he tugged my deadweight along, his grip on my hand tighter than I thought it would be.

Without really thinking about it, I responded, "Yeah" in agreement. I realized my mistake with a gasp and the flooding of blood to my cheeks when he stopped walking and turned to look at me with pert eyebrows. "I mean, no, there was no mood to kill! We had no 'mood' at all!" I turned to my Shugo Chara, my eyes wide and desperate. "Right?"

They all looked at me with pity.

I snatched my hand out of Ikuto's and began walking ahead of him, grateful for a distraction, if anything. "Whatever. You're just proving the leather jacket theory to be true."

"Ah, but I readily admitted to being an asshole," he stated matter-of-factly, the grin on his face looking completely satisfied. "I have no qualms with being referred to as such."

"Asshole."
"Hey."
"...Asshole."

He heaved a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his head underneath the beanie in frustration. "Okay, now you're just being a smartass."

The sound of his voice clued me in on something. "You're still following me." My tone was accusatory, and his eyebrows rose once again. "Why?"

"Do you really want to walk home alone after what we just saw?" There was an edge to his gaze, the kind that told me he wasn't planning on listening to anything I had to say.

I shuddered and looked away again. No, I didn't want to be by myself. Not when there was a supposed vampire lunatic scuttling around. So I just crossed my arms and kept walking, slightly comforted by his presence behind me.

But the feeling quickly faded as I noticed he wasn't saying a word. His presence was constant, his footsteps only slightly audible behind me, but it seemed like he was dragging his feet along. He didn't want to walk me home, I realized, but he felt obligated to. At that moment, I could've been one of two types of people: I could've basically mentally flipped him off and said "deal with it", or I could insist that I was fine by myself, even though I was not. Turns out, I got to be neither; he spoke first.

"You're okay?" He asked quietly, sounding unsure.

"Huh?" I turned a glance over my shoulder and saw that his eyes were narrowed, suspicious. "Yeah, I guess. Why?"

He shrugged, a noncommital gesture of his that I was sadly growing accustomed to. "Normally, someone would be pretty shaken up after seeing something like that." Then the look in his eyes turned speculative, and knowing. Like he could see right through me and uncover all of the secrets I desperately kept trying to bury. "You must've seen some pretty bad stuff to be desensitized to that."

Instead of responding, I just smiled at him, and turned back around. I heard him grunt appreciatively behind me, and he easily matched his stride with mine. I jolted in surprise when I felt his warm hand ruffling the hair on the top of my head, and looked up to glare at him. He just laughed and continued to do it until I danced out of his reach and smoothed it out again, my perfect mask of indifference shattered.

"You shouldn't do this kind of thing with someone else when you already have a girlfriend," I grumbled, then stopped walking in complete and utter shock. Had I honestly said that out loud? Dear God, I had sounded like a jealous and overly possessive snob. When he didn't comment, I figured he had realized that he was being a traitorous jerk by making moves on another girl, so I shrugged it off and kept walking. For some reason, each step rattled me more than the last, so much that my chest began to hurt. A lot.

When he finally spoke, his voice was beyond confused; it was confounded. "What the hell are you talking abou-" And then it dawned on him. "Utau?" I didn't even need to respond; I made a deep noise of irritation in the back of my throat unconsciously, and he started to bust a gut. "Nope, not my girlfriend."

"I don't care either way," I lied.

"Then why did you even bring it up?"

"Because!" My voice left its low, agitated state and became more of a roar when I whirled around to glare at him wildly, my eyes searching his for some sign of mockery. I came up blank. "You're the one who keeps consistently reminding me that we're enemies, that I shouldn't try to understand you, that we should just leave each other alone! But you're also the one who keeps coming back and confusing me and it's frustrating! At least you had a good excuse to be that contradictory when I thought she was your girlfriend, but now you having nothing to say for yourself. So why?"

My breath was coming out of me in large, huffing pants. I knew that being around him just irritated me, but I didn't realize it was to the extent that I was shoving those feelings down with such force that they snapped back out of me like an elastic band. He was looking at me blankly, his eyes a few shades darker, and I hated that I could see his whole face now. There wasn't the "hair in his face" excuse for the way shadows began crossing his face. It was just his warring expression, wondering how to get out of this situation and leave me feeling even more frustrated.

Just as I was about to turn around and go home by myself, he smiled, but it was a smile I could recognize from someone else. It was the same sad, self-pitying smile Lee wore sometimes, when he was thinking about things I knew I wouldn't be able to understand. "Didn't I tell you?" Ikuto asked lightly, stepping past me but pulling my hair to insinuate that I should follow. "You're fun to play with."

That was the last thing I wanted to hear. But then... what was it that I did want to hear? Did I want him to throw himself at my feet and begin to spew lines on how interesting I was, and how he kept buzzing around me because he wanted to just stay that close to me?

Wow, I was juvenile.

So with even more questions unanswered, the tension just continued to pile up. His grip never strayed from my hair, which made it seem to the few onlookers still wandering outside that I was being lead around like a dog on a leash.

Which wasn't exactly too far from the truth.

"I hate you," I said again, for the second time since the sports festival. But I would never admit that it wasn't him I hated; no, he was too idiosyncratic for that. It was the way he made me feel that I hated, so insecure and immature, like a pre-teen girl who had gotten her first boyfriend and had no idea what to do.

His response was the same as that time, as well. "I know."

"You're an asshole."

"Yup."

"You're a pervert."

A sly grin.

"But I don't hate you, Snow," he said as we finally came to a stop in front of Crystalshire Apartments, the lights of the city glinting off of their reflective black surface like falling stars. He let the chunk of my hair go and tapped his finger lightly to my nose, letting it rest there as he slowly, deliberately smiled at me. My eyebrows drew down in agitation and my mouth screwed up in a disgusted pout, but I didn't push him away. "And that's where our problem lies. So maybe you should work on that so we could just become real enemies and not have this extra... thing."
"What thing?" I asked softly.

His eyes sparkled. "You know the thing."

Okay, I snapped. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" I screeched as I tore away from him, pitifully covering my bright red face with my hands. I could feel that I was red all the way to my ears and neck. My neck! I had never, ever been like this with a boy before, so blushy and nervous and self-conscious. But Ikuto's very presence in front of me, smiling wickedly and his eyes dancing with laughter, made my whole body begin to shake.

It was the first time I wanted a guy to really look at me, to see what was beyong the wild white hair and aurora coloured eyes.

And that scared me. And intrigued me. And made me curse myself to the fiery depths of Hell for acting like this now, of all times, when everything else was just so confusing and I was supposed to get a glint of hatred in my eyes when I talked about him, like Tadase-kun did.

"I'M GOING HOME NOW BYE," I said quickly, loudly, and very awkwardly as I darted towards the entrance and tried to escape his probing gaze.

"Where's my 'thank you' for walking you home?" He called, looking so irritatingly at ease with his weight shifted to one hip and his hands shoved in his pockets.

With a furious grunt, I stopped in my tracks and began digging in my purse. Here was the thing: Mrs. Garrett, my less-than-civil boss at work, really got on my nerves sometimes. So in a sorry attempt at retaliation, I would swipe any extra after-meal suckers when no one was looking just to spite her secretly. I had given him one before as a thank you, and so I decided that it would become a thing, since I had already given him wafers. Man, I was spoiling him like a little boy.

He caught it easily when I threw it at him with barely contained force, and called, "You're my stockpile now," to me, still managing to keep the pitch of his voice low and like a whisper right next to my ear.

"I'm not yer pimp!" Aaaaand the dialect made a shocking appearance.

"But what if I want you to be?"

"AHHH!" I screeched, wheeling back around in the electric sliding doorway to see that he was almost on his knees in laughter. "CHOKE ON IT FOR ALL I CARE! YOU STUPID CAT!"

"You know you adore me!"

"Fuck no!" And with that rare display of a harsh cuss word, I turned back into the lobby with a body resembling a ripe tomato, only to meet Lee's terrified and amused gaze.

"So," I began, my voice irregularly high-pitched as I plastered on a smile and faked nonchalance. "How's your night been?"

}{

I awoke with a start, a loud snort, and a mumbled, "Shit."

Something had happened within the past week that threw me off of my sleeping schedule so much that I had been almost late every day since Sunday. Today would be no exception, judging from the time that I checked on my phone and the bright light streaming in through the balcony doors. My mouth opened so wide in a yawn that the corners of it felt like they were going to split, and I was unusually sprawled all over my bed when I usually just curled up on my side. The tank top I slept in was curled up and exposing my stomach, signalling that I had been tossing and turning throughout the night. I didn't even have the energy to bolt out of bed and rush to get ready and make it on time; rather, I slithered out of it feet first until I was groaning and lying on the floor, thanking the almighty God above that it was Thursday, and tomorrow was the teacher's work day.

"Stop lazing about and get the hell up!" Lilith screamed in my ear, which made me jolt upwards and wipe the drool off the side of my cheek. "You're going to be freaking late! This is all because you've been working yourself to the bone!"

I scratched the back of my head and threw off my shirt and pajama bottoms, changing my undergarments and zipping up my red plaid skirt. "It's not my fault that X-Eggs have been popping up almost every day this week."

That was where the problem lied. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, X-Eggs with unidentified owners popped up at the school and had to be rallied up by the Guardians. Each time I Character Transformed with Lilith- who didn't seem to be as affected as I was and was just as bitchy as usual- and we purified it together, but the constant changing of form temporarily was beginning to take a toll on my body. I wasn't used to feeling that strong and in power, and it came at a cost of draining an intense amount of energy. Not to mention that each night I was plagued by nightmares of the kitsunes growling at and calling me a monster, and a vampire wannabe wandering around the streets at night and making a delicious meal of whoever happened to get caught in their sights. Things just kept getting more and more strange as time went by in this city, like some sort of story was beginning to unfold right in front of me, and I had to make it to the end if I wanted to live in peace.

The only thing I felt capable of doing with my hair and makeup was brushing it through and dabbing on some mascara. The tie of my uniform was an absolute disaster, but my hands weren't working properly enough to even attempt at a better job. Instead of attending to my personal appearance, I shoved the scattered homework pages on my desk into my binder then my bag, and shuffled to the kitchen to grab some food, zombie-style. In honour of the day begin Halloween, I made "spooky" cupcakes for the Guardians, with orange and black icing, and candy decals of ghosts, bats, and tombstones. While I was a decent cook, baking was really my specialty, and I couldn't wait to hear what they had to say about them. That perked up my mood just a little bit, and I shoved the glass tupperware contained in my bag and scooped the readily prepared BLT from the fridge that would serve as a bribe. Then I shoved on my red boat shoes, shut off the apartment's lights, and locked the door, only moving to the last apartment in the hallway to knock on the door and yawn while I waited for my ride's response.

Lee opened the door with an easily familiar smile, and shut it behind him before I even got a peek of the inside. Not for the first time, I wondered what his apartment looked like, if it spelled money just like his flashy black car did. I didn't even know what he did for a living. I'd have to ask him when I wasn't falling asleep standing up. "Good morning," he greeted cheerily, the most adorable twenty-six-year-old man in existence. "Overslept again?"

"Yup," I groaned, finishing with a yawn as we started for the stairs, the elevator not fast enough for our purpose. I handed him the breakfast sandwich and he tore into it immediately, chewing merrily as we thundered down the stairs.

"Want me to carry you?" He asked with raised eyebrows, a mischievous sparkle in his evergreen eyes.

Clearly, he was joking, which was why he seemed to shocked to see me actually considering it. I laughed out loud at his expression and said, "I'm kidding. I think I can make it on my own." Saying that made me a big fat liar, because I nearly lost my footing at the end of the flight and barely stopped myself from crashing into a wall. Lee tried not to laugh and failed miserably, which got me fully awake and steaming with embarrassment.

The mahogany carpeted stairwell that made our footsteps echo all the way down lead to the back door of the apartments, where there was a smaller tenant parking lot and a small playground for children. Branching off from the main building was an all clear-glass structure that shielded the indoor pool from weather conditions, and I could smell the chlorine even from a distance away. Lee was wrinkling his nose, as well, and I smiled to myself. Sometimes we were so alike it felt like we had known each other for years and years, not just weeks.

We skirted around the large building's perimeter to the front parking lot and clambered into his car, and took off at a decently fast pace. I was able to finally relax in the leather seat as he drove with ease, and was grateful that at least somebody's car wasn't a deathtrap on wheels (cough Kukai cough). It was a pleasantly overcast day, a perfect mood for the holiday of the supernatural, and he didn't bother turning on the air conditioning like he did whenever the sun was out. He didn't even turn on the radio, but I could guess why; all we would hear would be the ongoing investigation of what exactly was causing all of the recent attacks in the city, and the newest victim of the week.

And that was the pattern of the whole mess that reporters and detectives seemed to miss that I caught on to after a bit of research; the attacks occurred each week when there was hardly anyone milling about after dark, and the days were purposely scattered so not as to attract attention. They weren't sequential, but they were definitely planned. Whatever- or whoever- was doing this was doing so with full intention to not attract attention, but they weren't covering their tracks very well if they just left their victims lying about for the public eye to see. There was something strange about the whole case, like each and every aspect of it was being monitored under a watchful eye, each and every bit of it carefully crafted like the plot for some cheesy movie.

I heaved a sigh and settled for watching Lee's profile as he drove, trying to draw my mind away from the very thing that was giving me recurring nightmares. Each time he turned on his turning signal, he would set his jaw and his eyes would move in the direction he was going, every movement careful and calculated. It never ceased to amaze me how different his hair was; it was a shade or two lighter than Ikuto's, not so dark that it became blue, the colour of black that you saw on licorice. He never seemed to mind keeping it in a ponytail that fell down his back in an orderly line, but the top of his head and bangs were shaggy and stuck out in different directions. Something about his face struck as familiar to me, and I saw up straighter in the passenger seat when I saw it. Then I burst into an over-tired giggle fit. We had identical noses, the turned-up celestial kind, and that was apparently hilarious to sleep-deprived Snow.

"What's up?" He asked warily, knowing full-well that what I was about to say would most likely be less than coherent.

"We have the same nose," I snorted, using my finger to stroke the end of mine and show that it turned up snobbily at the end. Vivian and Lilith managed a truly impressive feat on my lap- face-palming at the exact same time.

"Oh, do we," Lee murmured, his mouth screwing up in a wry grin. As we approached the school at a now-leisurely pace, having saved time by running down the stairs, I continued to observe him and try to identify anything that would give some insight to his private life. His clothes were more casual than not, and consisted of loose-fitting white wash jeans, a black vee-neck sweater over a white tailored dress shirt, and a dark spring green tie. He looked kind of like a play-it-cool teacher. And because I was nosy, I just had to ask.

"What do you work as, Lee?" I started, crossing one leg over the other in an attempt at casualty. "You always have time to take me places, and I'm worried that it's interfering with your schedule." Which was very true, but also a cover-up for my invasiveness.

He barked out a laugh. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I make my own hours."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you self-employed?"

A surprisingly condescending snort from him. "No. I work on the city council."

"WHAT?!"

"Is it really that surprising?" He looked stricken but amused as he kept his eyes trained on the road, but was trying with visible effort not to turn and look at my expression.

"Well, yes! That's very important! How can you just say you make your own hours?!" I thudded back into the leather seat, which got an inappropriately hilarious squish from the material. "You should not be carting me everywhere if you do something like that! Heck, no wonder you can't even cook your own meals properly." I threw my hands in the air in frustration. "You don't even have time to practise!"

"I'll give you that," he chuckled, pulling up to the school's gates all too quickly. He left the car running as he turned in his seat to face me, his expression challenging and smug. "But really, Miss Snow, I'm in a position high enough that no one dares to challenge my word. It's really no trouble driving you around at all, especially when it's in exchange for such delicious meals."

There was a look in his eyes that made my hand on the door handle freeze, a baby bird locking eyes with a large cat only a breath away. It was like... a dare. A dare for me to try and challenge his authority. Well, even when I hadn't before, I now felt immensely intimidated by him. I lived next to one of the leading men of the city without even realizing it, and now he was looking at me like he was saying "what are you gonna do about it". What was the answer?

Nothing, of course.

I grinned at him, and I could see in the passenger side mirror from my peripheral vision that it wasn't wavering in the slightest. "Well, thank you, then," I said easily. "But you're sounding kind of like a dictator."

The Lee I had come to know returned with a snap, his innocent green eyes widening and his hands fluttered about nervously. "Oh, that wasn't my intention at all!" He floundered, his scraggly hair falling across his forehead and casting it in eerie shadows.

"I was just kidding!" I laughed, for the second time that day. "Sheesh. You need to learn how to take a joke."

He quirked an eyebrow. "You've just learned what I do every day. Surely you can understand why my sense of humour may leave much to be desired."

I couldn't even imagine; being stuck in an office all day, with stiff and stuck-up politicians nitpicking at every little thing you did and practically manipulating the strings behind the whole city? It was a twisted occupation to be in, that was for sure. Operating everything from the shadows like puppeteers. I shuddered and nodded at him in acknowledgement, and bent over to pick up my bag that I had gently set at my feet. My Shugo Chara squealed in protest when I nearly crushed them under my torso, and I had to repress another laugh so Lee didn't think that I had a few screws loose.

"Hang on," he said before I put my hand on the door handle again. "Two things. One, your tie..."

I rolled my eyes heavenward, then down at him again sardonically. "Yeah, I'm not exactly in any healthy position to attempt doing anything at the moment, let alone tying a tie."

"Allow me." He reached over after I nodded in permission, and I found it courteous that he actually waited for a response. He pulled up the white collar of my blouse and untucked the tie from my blazer to twist and flip it a variety of different ways that I did not even attempt to decipher, his jaw set in tha focused way. His hands were incredibly gentle, handling everything about me like I was a porcelein doll delicately perched on a crooked shelf. He didn't even touch my neck once, he was so careful. For once, I didn't mind someone's close proximity to me, unlike with Tadase-kun and Ikuto. The rate of my pulse remained steady and normal, my cheeks refreshingly unflushed. It was like the awkward touch of a new stepfather, when you were still unsure of the parent-child relationship you possessed, but tried your best to get along anyway and do parental things. With one final tug, he finished tying it with flourish, and it almost seemed too perfect. It didn't suit the way I looked at that moment, bags under my eyes and my hair the wavy and curly mess it was whenever I didn't take the time to take care of it.

"Thank you," I said softly, with a gentle smile up at him. He returned it with a white-toothed grin of his own, then reach past me to delicately take something out of the glove compartment. Even that did not give me any sort of strange reaction; I remained casual, the only racing of my pulse now caused by the fear that I was going to be late after all.

Lee gently cradled the object he took from the compartment like it was finespun, and I blinked in surprise and suspicion when I saw what it was. Never before had a seen such a curious mask. It resembled that of a Joker's you'd find on a suit of cards, the right side pure white and the left black, with opposite shades colouring the upside-down crescent eyes and pointedly grinning mouth. As if that wasn't enough, it was elaborately decorated, with spirals of black and white gracing the empty planes, so intricate and detailed they resembled frosted glass. On the top right side was a vicious, darker-than-black rose, with pearled beads spilling from it and looping around it again and again to create a layered effect.

"Um," I began, edging away from it slightly. "What is it?"

He shrugged, aiming to be insouciant, but his eyes had taken on a new emotion all over again; they were steely, focused, determined. "It's a mask," he said. "Obviously. And since it's Halloween, I figured you'd might need something." He pushed it into my lap, oblivious of the little people sitting there, and they screamed shrilly and ducked behind my hair to avoid being smothered. "I'll lend it to you."

"I... I appreciate the gesture," I stuttered, feeling disconcerted by the colourless, smiling eyes staring straight up at me. "But I couldn't possibly take it. It's yours, after all-"

"This will be doing me a favour, actually," he laughed, though it sounded forced. "Please, just wear it. And look," he added, gesturing out the window to the students emptying the sidewalk and spilling into the school grounds. Almost every one of them had some sort of costume about them, from masks to fake cat ears to witch's robes and everything in between. I scowled out at them, cursing the holiday for making me dress up, but I figured that I might as well participate since the Guardians were as well. But the mask was undeniably creepy, and haunted the after-images on my eyelids. It reminded me too much of horror films, which then struck chords with memories that were meant to stay just that.

Nonetheless, I muttered a soft thanks and slipped it over my head. A silk string was to be tied behind my ears and around my head to keep it in place, and Lee did just that when I turned back to exit the vehicle.

"Thank you," he murmured in an almost-relieved way. Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders simply by my wearing some ominous mask. Well, I guessed I couldn't say I minded it that much if it took some worry away from him- whatever that worry was. He'd been far too kind to me for me to ever repay, and if doing something like that made him happy, then tie up that mask and let's strike terror into the hearts of children.

"Again, thank you so much," I said quickly as I threw my legs out the door and bolted out of the car. "Dinner's on me. Anything you want."
"Woohoo!" He cheered aloud, and he even went so far as to pump a fist in the air. "I'm looking forward to it."

I nodded at him before he pulled away with a smile- even though he couldn't see it. "See you when I'm done work."

As he peeled away from the road next to the sidewalk, I pondered over what a nice guy he was. And wondered why he'd go so far as to help a complete stranger. He even insisted on driving me home from work at night, especially considering all of the "animal attacks"; that, and he mentioned something about it not being safe for a teenage girl to walk home alone at night. Don't I know it.

"That thing really is creepy," Lilith hissed from right beside my ear, and I felt her prod it slightly with her hand. "I don't like not seeing your face at all."
"Please take it off," Satsuki begged, and through the cracks of the eyes I could see that she was covering her own and cowering away. "It's not like he'll ever be able to tell!"

"I like it," Vivian contributed, not very helpfully. I felt disheartened knowing that she couldn't see me roll my eyes at her, but the feeling of disdain was oozing off of me like oily black paint. She scowled and turned away.

"It's just for a little while," I alleviated, knocking my fist against its smooth surface. It almost felt like it was made of out glass, but the rock hardness suggested otherwise. It was ligther than I had expected, though, and stuck on my head incredibly easily. "I don't want to be dishonest about it. Besides, I owe him."
They continued to grumble as we strode down the cobblestone path, only stopping when I heard a high-pitched, "Good morning, Snowcchi!" from behind me, and I turned to face Yaya-san decked out in the usual- a bib, bonnet, rattle, and extra ribbons in her hair and on her uniform. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me, an absolute mess of white hair and a monochromatic simpering mask. Dust actually poofed out behind her from how hard she hit the brakes, and her doe-eyes were wide and terrified.

"I am no longer afraid to die," she decided, and my groan was muffled by the mask. "Lord above, I await your loving embrace. Take me now before the Devil-"

"That's enough," I grunted, smacking a hand over her loud mouth. "It isn't that bad."
"Not that bad? All day I'm going to be expecting you to pull a machete out of your bag, and I'm going to be very disappointed if you don't- but also thankful for my life."

I stared at her, which caused her to cower and try to drag the bonnet over her eyes so she couldn't detect the mask's probing gaze. I decided that I might be able to use it to my advantage. "When I snap, you'll be the first to go," I promised, and she squeaked and ducked further beneath the futile slip of fabric.

"What's up with your hair today?" She hedged warily as we started back down the walkway, our steps slapping against the stones' hard surfaces. "You look like you did the tango with a weedwhacker."

"You're a lot more harsh than you seem, huh."

She just shrugged. "Even though I don't want to, sometimes you can't help but grow up."

It got irritating that no one could see the dirty looks I was flashing them, but I expected Yaya-san to have enough tact to be able to detect that I was trying. "You're the last person I expected to hear that from. But if you must know, I just overslept." A pause. "Again."

"Ooh, ooh, lemme do it today!" I immediately put a firm distance between us. "Aww, come on! I'm good at it, and it'll only take a second! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-"

"Okay, fine!" I snapped, my real face one of distress and fury. "But make it quick. The bell's going to ring soon, and I haven't been late once since I came here."

To her credit, she was surprisingly quick. But then again, all I could feel her doing was scraping my hair into high twin-pigtails, much like those of Utau-san's. Even though I had no mirror to illegedly admire her handiwork, I expected I looked like an abnormally tall, homicidal child. Happy Halloween.

However, when Yaya-san and I entered the school, I didn't feel as creepy and alienated as I had before. My mask was hardly the strangest one lost in a sea of screaming white faces or fiery red ogres. I grinned behind its smooth surface, actually appreciating its presence on my face, since it felt like I was actually a part of the school now. Even a few teachers were dressed up, like the math professor, Mr. Kenneth, decked out in old Englishman clothes, cravat and all, and an additional long black cape with a high collar and red inside. His jet hair was slicked back and revealed his pallid face and goldenrod eyes, and whenever he smiled and greeted passing students, fake fangs flashed within his mouth. That made a shiver course down my spine, reminding me too much of the suspicions I had of the attacks recently, and the wounds on the girl's neck in the park. I'd probably have to get used to that, since I would more than likely see plenty of vampire costumes today.

The Halloween hype continued through every one of my classes, as we watched a Tim Burton movie in English and Art, concocted potion-like fluids in Home Economics, and made some nasty green slime in Science that other students flung at each other. I made sure not to get in crossfire, which would've risked dirtying Lee's mask.

When the last bell monotonously chimed, signalling the end of school altogether, Mr. Nikaidou stopped me on the way out of the classroom. He looked odd, wearing a non-rumpled suit, tie, and having completely straight hair drawn back into a stern ponytail. But the effect was ruined when he smiled goofily at me, and said, "See, Himayuki-san, I dressed up today."

I appraised him up and down again, my eyebrows furrowing behind the mask. "Uhhh..."
"Can you guess what I am?"

After a few moments of consideration, I smacked a fist in the palm of my hand and exclaimed, "An actually successful adult!"

"Bingo!" He laughed, and for the first time that day I was relieved he couldn't see my expression. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by looking at him with nothing but pity, since he was admitting that he was pretty much a dead-beat.

As I strolled out of the science room, aiming to head out of the back door of the school to reach the Royal Garden more easily, I was stopped in my tracks yet again by a teacher calling out my name. But this voice sounded deeper, more comfortable, and less like they were on helium. I hadn't ever spoken to them before from the time I had been at Seiyo Academy, but I knew who it was from Deryn pointing them out and saying they were her and Will's "guardian", for lack of a better term.

Mr. Kenneth was leaning against the outside of the school, on the red brick wall, the lethargic autumn breeze causing the end of the cigarette hanging from his mouth to flare up bright red. He was the very reason I thought Lee could've just been a very young teacher, since he looked to only be in the mid-twenties himself. The gel that had been slicking his hair back earlier that day had worn off, causing his wild perm of a hairdo to almost eclipse his eyes completely. I cocked my head to the side (which might have looked terrifying, considering the mask), wondering what he could possibly want from me. "Yes?" I asked politely, standing with completely straight posture beside him. That was my facade to put on in front of most teachers (excluding Mr. Nikaidou)- acting completely professional and ready for work, even when school was over.

He took one last drag of his cigarette before speaking, and I wondered if he was even allowed to be smoking on school property. But he seemed like the easygoing type of teacher who didn't really care what their students did in the meantime, so long as they got their work done. Plus, he looked after Deryn and Will- which was apparently a secret from the rest of the student body and staff- so he must've been a pretty carefree man. After he was done, he removed it from his mouth easily, and smushed it under the toe of his black loafers, smiling at me in a leisurely way that even reached his eyes. But the effect was lost on me when I stiffened, for I could see the fangs protruding from his mouth in an eerie fashion, which made his next words have a deeper meaning than he could really know.

"Be careful on your way home," he grinned easily, and my rigid posture relaxed a bit. He was essentially an older, more relaxed Will, with a natural charisma that charmed anybody he spoke to. Thus I was able to even smile at him, then when I realized he couldn't see it, I carefully pulled on the silk string of the mask and held it gently in my hands. When it was removed from my face, I smiled again, and smoothly said, "Thanks, I will." With that, I turned and began heading for the Royal Garden once again, my path finally unobstructed.

The other Guardians were already sitting at the table under the white gazebo, a small stack of papers standing idly by Tadase-kun, who was aptly dressed as a king- or maybe he had just Character Changed. But judging by his usual calm and peaceful expression, that was clearly not the case. Nadeshiko-san's and Kukai-kun's costumes were to be expected; she as a shrine maiden, he as a soccer player (which was more than likely just his uniform from the school's team). They looked up from the chatter upon hearing the sound of the glass conservatory's door open and shut with a dull, shifting thud, and each smiled upon seeing me in their own way.

"Anything new?" I asked idly as I pulled my chair back from the table with a scrape. I set my bag at my feet once I was firmly planted on the chair, and crossed one leg over the other while leaning back. I was never able to attend these meetings long, considering the time I had to be at work by, so they tried to get as much accomplished as they could while I was there by hurrying everything along. So we tended to just dive right into the important information, saving no time for idle chit-chat.

"Nothing in particular," Tadase-kun offered with a grin, but it soon fell once he seemed to consider something. "Except for the abnormal amount of X-Eggs this week. We've been investigating into it, but we have no idea where they could be coing from." His expression shifted from frustration to concern as he regarded me carefully, paying special attention to the purpley colour beneath my eyes. "I'm so sorry we're working you so hard, Hisayuki-san. It must be very tiring."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'd feel pretty useless if I wasn't doing anything. Besides, I'm happy to resolve any problems someone may have." The carefree grin on my face soured to more melancholy as I added, "It's better than letting their dreams just get crushed."

Nadeshiko-san's eyebrows drew down and her lips puckered, but she said nothing. She had been keeping a very close eye on me since we went out to the picnic and she had witnessed me at my worst, like she expected me to have a spontaneous breakdown any second. If that was the case, she was going to be disappointed. I was a master at coping with things... which might've been more believable if I wasn't having nightmares every night.

"That's true," Kukai-kun muttered with a grave nod of his head. "But we have to think back to what Hisayuki said at the picnic; if someone really is intentionally pulling out X-Eggs, and it's happening more and more frequently here, then doesn't that mean the culprit is someone on campus?"

My expression turned from pondering to austere. "I thought about that, as well, and it has to be right. From what you've told me, it's far too strange that X-Eggs just suddenly started popping up for it to be someone that's been here for a while."

"Or it could be," Nadeshiko-san piped in, "and they're only doing it now because they feel threatened by a new Guardian stepping in and purifying them all."

"But the question still remains: why?" Tadase-kun ran a hand through his light hair, causing it to grace his eyes and swirl slightly at the top of his head. I was suddenly very distracted by watching it fall lightly back into place, reminded of sunshine peeking out from dark clouds. "Even if they were threatened by Hisayuki-san, why would they choose to pull them out in the first place? What could they possibly hope to accomplish?"

When a sudden realization popped into my head, my entire posture went rigid, and my eyes widened with a hard look to them. Kukai-kun must've thought I was glaring at him, because he pressed a hand to his heart and looked about as wounded as a killdeer. "Whoa, what did I say?"

I made a disgusted noise in the back of my throat. "Not you, dummy. I just thought of something. If they feel threatened by the presence of a new Guardian, then... couldn't that mean they're working for Easter?"

Silence fell upon the Royal Garden then, thick and dark as sheets of rain. Even Yaya-san suddenly looked very severe and worried, when she had just been swinging her little legs back and forth under the table like a five-year-old. "That makes sense," Tadase-kun croaked, and he sounded like something had lodged in his throat. "Easter is constantly competing with us to find the Embryo, even if we don't know why. It's completely logical to think that they'd feel worried if a new Guardian who can Character Transform appeared. They'd want to increase their search and try pulling out more and more eggs if it turned out to be the Embryo." He then proceeded to pull out a thick, leather-bound notebook from his bag and scratch down notes furiously with a mechanical pencil.

With the tense atmosphere and maladroit quiet, I felt the need to lighten the atmosphere a touch. So I pulled out the holiday cupcakes from my bag, which immediately caused Yaya-san to launch herself at them and have her hand swat away.

"Ooh, those look delicious," Nadeshiko-san cheered, clapping her hands together. "Did you make them for us?"

Hearing it said out loud made me feel embarrassed that I had, so I only nodded and pushed them forward on the table. Even Tadase-kun took a break from his writing to chomp down on one, and I giggled when he had a smear of icing on the corner of his mouth, unusually messy and disorganized for him. He cocked his head to the side in concern, which only made my giggles transform into full-blown laughter from the childlike appearance he had taken on.

"What?" He demanded, too seriously for the sugar all over his face. The other Guardians had joined in, except Yaya-san and Kukai-kun weren't even trying to be discreet. His face began to take on this lovely shade of pink that reminded me of rose petals. "What is it? Why are you laughing?"

"Here," I said with a snort, unconsciosly reaching across the table to wipe it away. I felt him go taut beneath my touch, which was simply using my index finger to swipe it away, and it felt like skimming the surface of boiling water. Only when I pulled away but remained halfway across the table did I look up, and saw that his eyes were wide and unblinking, his cheeks now more scarlet than pink. In confusion, I looked around at the table and saw the looks of astonishment on each of their faces, and sat down with a gasp of horror and embarrassment. What the hell did I just do?! I had just touched his face so casually and unabashedly, like I was...

"Well, geez," Kukai-kun muttered whilst scratching the back of his head. "Just watching you two makes me feel embarrassed."

"B-be quiet!" I snapped, unable to even look at Tadase-kun. "S-sorry, I didn't mean..."

Instead of sounding harsh and disgusted like I expected him to, he just laughed it off easily, though it sounded somewhat strained. "It's perfectly all right! I don't mind at all."

Yaya-san was scowling, her posture stiff and uncomfortable. "You guys should really save that kind of stuff for when you're alone."

A look dawned on Tadase-kun's eyes, as if he had just remembered something. "Oh! Speaking of being alone-"

"What?!" I squeaked, completely shocked at what he was implying. Mercifully, he chose to ignore me, which was kind in its own way.

With flourish, he pulled thin, rectangular pieces of paper from the pocket of his blue Guardian's cape, and smiled with the brilliance of sparkling diamonds. "I got some tickets to go to the aquarium tomorrow. Would you all like to come?"

I was unable to hear what everyone else was saying, for I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. Having never been to an aquarium before, I was only left to wonder what kinds of fish and things could possibly be within the sparkling glass tanks. If I went, I would be able to see clownfish, sturgeon fish, manta rays... even sharks! I could see freaking sharks!
The escalating pounding of my heart seemed to even cause my own body to rise as I bolted up from my chair and excitedly crowed, "I wanna go!" The smile on my face was wide and ecstatic, thinking of all the different colours and schools and unique traits of every kind of fish that would be there. From the way I appeared, I didn't seem one to be very interested in nature, but I actually loved learning more about the world I lived in, about the habits and lives of animals and habitats. So many things out there were interesting and begging to be explored, just like the fascinating red spider lilies that had always daunted me and beckoned me to see.

They were all giving me that same look they had just moments ago, one of shock and interest. When Kukai-kun burst out laughing at my appearance- which resembled a child with the excited grin and pigtails- I slid back in my seat and raised my knees to hide my blushing face in, humiliated and horrified at my immature behaviour. What was I even doing? I was acting like a spoiled brat, that's what. Even my Shugo Chara were busting a gut on the table at my abnormal behaviour.

"Of course you can go," Tadase-kun chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners from his wide smile. "You don't even have to say it. I'd be happy if you came along."

"It'll be a lot more interesting if Snowcchi's there!" Yaya-san tittered, her short pigtails bouncing up and down from laughter.

With a pout covering my face, I turned away from all of them to stare out ot the back of the Royal Garden as they continued to chuckle. In reality, I was flushed with pleasure from their words. It was almost like... they were saying it would be more fun if I came along. Or maybe that was just me being pretentious, and twisting their words into what I wanted to hear. However... it would be nice if they were true. If my presence was not only needed, but also wanted.

No one had ever treated me that way before.

Which was a bit sad, in its own way, but it only made the feeling all the more special.

Thus it was decided that tomorrow would be our grand adventure to the aquarium, and we would be meeting there at nine o'clock sharp. That seemed reasonable to me, even if it was a day off from school, since I had work in the afternoon and the aquarium is a popular place to go; it was usually quite packed, apparently. Judging from Tadase-kun's directions, it was a fair distance from my apartment, meaning that if I even attempted to walk there I would never make it. I felt guilty just thinking about asking Lee for a ride again, and wondered what I could ever do to make it up to him.

When the clock on my phone ticked its way to four in the afternoon, I excused myself for the day, thanking Tadase-kun for inviting me along. The smile he gave me in return made me feel like we were the only two people in the Royal Garden, and I was only able to gaze at him dazedly before I left. I only snapped out of it when Kukai-kun awkwardly cleared his throat, and I fled in embarrassment.

Besides Satsuki pointing out directions to East Side Mario's for me, the walk there was mostly silent, my footsteps lost in the roar of the city hustle and bustle around me. That left me to be distracted with my thoughts that always seemed to drift back to Tadase-kun and the unusual conduct I used around him sometimes. I had never touched anyone so easily or comfortably before. But with him, it was just so easy to lose my sense of self and give way to happiness. Just thinking about it made me blush and squirm, earning some concerned looks from Lilith and Vivian, but I paid them no mind. I was too lost remembering that look he always had in his eyes, so straightforward and unwavering. He never did anything halfway, and I admired that greatly. Unlike a certain someone I could mention (a certain cat-boy who looked like he did nothing all day but sleep and laze around, maybe).

Not to mention that he was always just so nice to me. I've never been treated to kindly by anyone except for Mary and my biological father. While Jack was nice to me, he treated me more like a teenage friend who he didn't mind hanging out with and teaching things, which is what I imagined the relationship between Mr. Kenneth and Deryn resembled. But having someone my own age act like that around me was entirely new, and it made me feel... I don't know... just happy, whenever I was around him. He had a good sense of humour about things, and an even stronger sense of justice.

By then I had reached my place of occupation, and was changing in the locker room, when I suddenly stopped pulling too-tight shirt on with a gasp. "Dear God," I muttered suddenly, catching the girls' attention.

Lilith threw her head back from resting on the small bench in the middle of the cramped, sterile space, and blinked at me curiously. "What is it?"

"Don't you think," I began, continuing to pull the shirt down that constricted my chest and exposed the straps of my bra through the black cotton, "that Tadase-kun is what people consider the perfect guy?" Lilith and Vivian groaned, but Satsuki bolted into a standing position with an ecstatic look on her face. She began nodding excitedly in agreement as I continued on. "I mean, think about it. He's just a nice guy without wanting anything in return, and he's stronger than he thinks he is. Plus, he's a cutie."

"He's more than cute," Vivian snorted suddenly, causing my hands to pause in braiding my hair into a herringbone. "You just fail to notice that because you see him in, like, a holy light." I frowned at her, but she continued to ignore me. "The guy's just plain hot. I think you'd notice that more if you looked at respective parts of him."

I slammed my body backwards against the lockers, making them all jolt in surprise. My face took an a bright, intoxicated hue of crimson, and my eyebrows screwed up in admonishment. "Th-that's gross!" I bumbled, smacking my hands against my face to chase unmentionable images away. "How could you even s-say something like that?! O-of course I wouldn't look there, of all-"

"YOU SICKO!" She screamed at me, making me jerk me face up from my hands and glare at her. "That's not what I was talking about at all! I was talking about his hands, or his jaw or something! What the hell's the matter with you?!"

If I was red before, I was near-purple now. "O-oh, I didn't realize..." They were all giving me this look of pure stupefaction, and I bashed my head against the lockers with a resounding, metallic bang. "I SERIOUSLY DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT STUFF AT ALL, I SWEAR!"

"I dunno," Lilith dragged out, and I could physically feel the smirk on her face. "I've seen you check out Ikuto's crotch more than once."
"YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE NOT!" I was almost in tears, screaming and making my forehead get locker imprints in it from extensive bashing. The only time I was able to stop freaking out and actually wondering if I had ever looked in that direction was when Louise came to check on me, pure concern written all over her face. With fumbling words and erratic gestures, I explained that I was just talking to someone on the phone, and shoved the dastardly little perverts in my locker with a disgruntled huff and got to work.

That night at East Side was the busiest I had seen yet. I figured it was mostly because, in honour of the holiday, we had limited-time-only Halloween-themed alocholic beverages, and also considering that most of the patrons were adults fresh out of college. I had to admit that they were worth it, though; I never drank alcohol, since it was too bitter and just awful for me, but the drinks were relatively nice, sweet, and simple. I gave the mixologist my compliments after taking only one sip and handed the rest to Louise, who chugged it down in one swig. Even I was impressed at that.

Other than that, the work day was uneventful. My daily toll of swiped suckers was four at the end, without Mrs. Garrett catching on once. It just goes to show how abysmal and frankly embarrassing my criminal record was if I was so proud of myself for taking a few unnoticeable sweets. When I was giggling to myself whilst delvering more orders to the chef, I stopped when I realized that I felt so incredibly stealthy just by doing something the my coworkers did without batting an eyelash, then I pitied myself and slapped my palm against my face to let it slide down slowly. I was really kind of pathetic.

I clocked out a bit later than usual, and was about to text Lee that I was done when the devil called me as I was pulling on my shoes. With a frown worrying the corners of my mouth, I picked up with a cautious, "Hello?"

"Miss Snow." He sounded relieved and worried all at once. "I'm so sorry. It doesn't look like I'll be able to get off work to pick you up tonight."

I forced out a laugh and teased, "What happened to the whole 'I make my own rules' thing?" But in reality, my heart was rapidly plummeting towards the bottom of my stomach with a rush of cold, slimy fear. That meant I had to walk home. All alone. At night. Normally, I wouldn't have minded, even after the whole stranger danger incident, but with the suspicion of some creep prowling around, sucking blood from young people, well... I considered my dread to be completely justified.

Lee barked out a chuckle in return, though it sounded just as strained. "Mostly just to impress you."

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Not too well, apparently. I don't suppose you'd be willing to catch a ride with a coworker?" Only after a few moments of silence with my eyebrows raised challengingly did I realize that he couldn't see it, but he was already speaking again. "I figured as much," he sighed. "Can you promise me something, then?"

I narrowed my eyes in dubiousness, and responded, "Depends on what it is," with an edge to my voice.

"Well, you know that mask I lent you today?"

I dropped my shoed-up foot to the ground with a harsh thud, my face paling. "Where are you going with this?"

He held his breath for a moment, and I could hear the sound of hushed voices and furious clacking on keyboards behind him. Instantly I felt guilty for eating up so much of his time that he could've been utilizing to work, but then he let it out all in a rush. "I'd like you to wear it on the way home. I'd feel much more reassured if no one could see your e- your face, what with all the ne'er-do-wells hanging around and causing mischeif tonight."

I heaved a sigh and rested an elbow on my knee, leaning my chin into my palm. "Well, since you used the word 'ne'er-do-well', I have no other choice, do I?"

He blew out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I feel much more reassured now."

"Sure," I mumbled, feeling slightly aggravated that I'd have to cart around that creepy thing for a bit longer. But really, what was the harm if it kept him at ease? It was kind enough of him to be worrying about me in the first place. Plus, its oddity may actually help to keep any suspicious figures away. "I'll make you dinner when I get home, okay? Just come and get in whenever you're done; I'll be staying up later tonight." With the stimulating agenda for tomorrow and the added nightmares that would more than likely be plaguing me tonight, I figured sleep was a luxury that my subconscious was dangling over my head and laughing as I jumped up and up in futility, trying to reach it.

"Oh really? Why?" He asked, and I heard a shuffle as he must've shifted his cell phone to cradle it between his shoulder and ear, from the way I heard a sudden clacking of a keyboard at close proximity. I didn't want to be rude by hurrying the conversation along, as if talking to him was a bother, but I also didn't want to further distract him from his work. I shrugged to my Shugo Chara, who were ruffled-looking fresh from my locker, as if to say What conundrums I get myself into!

"It's a teacher's work day," I explained, standing from the aged wooden bench and backing out of the change room whilst using my backside to push the door open. I nodded to Louise and Mrs. Garrett on my way out with a smile, and the latter made the 'I'm-watching-you' signal at me. Before I set to walking, I lingered just outside of the bustling restaurant to hurry the conversation along but still stay in obvious sights- too obvious for any cretins to attempt to sneak up on me. "So I don't have school tomorrow. And I'll be going out with my friends to the aquarium." The F word came to me so easily now that I couldn't keep the cockamamie grin off my face.

"That sounds like fun," he offered, sounding genuinely interested. "The aquarium here's pretty nice- big, too. I bet you'll have fun... unless you have some strange phobia of fish."

I barked out a laugh, catching the attention of a couple strolling idly by me. They smiled at me as if they understood who and what I was talking about, and I realized the look and actions I was giving off made it seem like I was talking to, well, a boyfriend. I blushed and bit my bottom lip, causing the girl to laugh and snuggle further into her partner's arm. I felt that brief flash of envy I always did when observing the happiness of others in love, wanting to experience such a thing for myself one day.

"No ichthyophobia here," I continued, bringing the mask out of my bag with a snort at its malevolent grin. "But I don't want to keep you from your very important work any longer. See you later?"

"For sure," he agreed cheerily, sounding far more at ease then than he had at the beginning of the call. "Be careful."

I smiled when I touched my thumb to the touch screen to hang up, and it remained on my face even as I reached around my head to tie the string of the mask in a tight bow. Before I set off, I took a deep, steeling breath, then took a step away from the safety of the warm lights and chatter of the restaurant.

Every face I passed took on either a laughing or freaked-out expression, and by the time I had already made it to the halfway point to the apartments- which Vivian had marked as a lingerie store with a pastel coloured awning hanging over it- I was about ready to turn around and flip the world the bird. Even so, there were still some faces remaining in costume, be it in skimpy, oversexualized women's wear that meant a night at the night club, or just some pure white foundation with large red smiles painted on, clowns wandering and striking fear into the joints of my bones. I'd always hated clowns. Hence being turned off when faced with the jester's mask.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw the towering apartments' lights twinkling in the distance, the north star guiding me home, when a touch on my shoulder made me freeze and shivers rack my entire frame. It was a touch I was unfamiliar with, that was for sure, with a hand that seemed too wide to belong to a female or a guy I knew... adding on to the fact that I felt the stinging pressure of claws on my collarbone.

It's just a costume, I assured myself without turning around, my breath approaching the hyperventilating stage. They're just wearing some clawed gloves for a Halloween costume is all. But... that doesn't change the fact that a complete stranger wants something with me.

My next shiver was more of an attempt to shake the pernicious touch away, but the grip only tightened and tried pulling me back, closer to them. My feet were planted firmly to the ground, not at all willing to give, and I clenched my teeth within the mask. The only indication that whoever was behind me was no neighbourhood welcoming commitee was the horrified and- quite frankly- petrified looks on the girls' faces.

"Why don't you come with me for a while," said the person behind me. Calling it a voice would've been too kind; it was a combination of a deep-throated growl and a hiss, the sound of nightmares come to life. For the very first time in, well, ever, I felt like the breath that touched my neck with their words was actually cold- though I was positive that was just my heebie-jeebies getting the better of me. "It would be in your bessst interessst not to resissst, hmmm, girlie? Jussst ssstep back and out of sssight and I promissse not to hurt you."

With the intention of using some impromptu self-defense that only consisted of a swift kick to the groin, I whirled around with a murderous expression hidden beneath the mask, which matched the one of the stranger behind me. I barely even got a look at their face- but what I did see was enough to make me stop in my tracks. It was surely the face of death, with tightened gray skin clinging to every sunken-in bone of the structure, the only sign of hair a slight tumbleweed of white whisping on top of their head. Their eyes reminded me of a snake's, with a completely straight black pupil and something that looked distinctly familiar- a bright ring of colour around the pupil within the otherwise film-coloured gaze.

But just as I froze and my legs locked up in pure terror, they wrenched their grasp away with a sound that resembled induced vomiting (you know, like "heeeaagggccch"). The look on my face was taken aback, and even insulted, as they reared back a step and then- horrifyingly enough- stooped into a low bow.

"Forgive me," they- wait, it might've been a more accurate word- warbled gutterallly, stooping upwards into a hunchback. "I did not realize that you were of the Stiria. I will be grateful if you were to give me my life."

It was motherfucking shaking. In fear. It was scared of me. No, wait- not me. The mask. Well, God, I didn't realize it was that freakish. And what da heck was da ssstiria? The way it was pronounced made it seem like a proper noun, the correct name of something- or worse yet, an STI.

"Um, go away?" I whispered shakily. The sunken-in face sagged even more in relief, and it thanked me one more time with a deep bow before scuttling away into the darkness.

... WHAT THE FU-

"Home," Lilith said, interrupting the stream of cuss words that were about to unfemininely explode from my mouth. "Right now. Don't look behind you, not once, you hear me? Go straight home and keep your eyes trained straight ahead."

She didn't need to tell me twice. I was gone.

By the time I reached my apartment, not looking back even in the elevator, I collapsed against the door of my room with a gasp ripping from my throat. With trembling, sweaty hands, I undid the bow holding the mask to my face as quickly as possible to find sweat dotting my brow, not from speed walking, but from the red-hot flashes of panic and terror sweeping through my entire body like it was being dunked into boiling water, time and time again. I scrubbed a hand down my face and laid completely on the floor, my face pressing against the cool, smooth wood and letting the shadows and their haunting images punch repeatedly against my eyelids.

Some... thing had wanted me to come with it, and said it was in my best interest not to struggle. What was it? What did it want? I knew that it could've been a costume; the likelihood was very probable, especially on tonight of all nights. However... it just seemed all to real. The skin was clinging to its face, a desperate last-ditch attempt to not fall off, and its eyes... I squeezed my eyes shut and hissed a shuddering breath from my mouth. They looked like mine. A dark, old colour like dried blood with a bright yellow around the pupil. The colours the different, but... the similarity was there. And it had been so scared of what it saw on the mask, it had begged for forgiveness. For its life.

"What's going on?" I almost sobbed into the floor. I felt three tiny pressures on the back of my head, the girls hands pressing into it soothingly. "Why can't I just understand? Why won't these things just go away?"

"Snow," Vivian whispered. Her voice broke on the 'oh' of my name, like she was about ready to burst into horrible, racking sobs. "Snow, you're okay. You're home. You're safe here."

"I'm scared." Each of their comforting touches froze with sharp intakes of their breath. "Demon foxes calling me a monster, vampires roaming about the city, little creatures acting like they were scared of me..." I felt my body physically recoil, like I could shove away all the freezing cold terror that made my chest seize up and my breath close up my throat. "I just want to be normal. I want to be normal!"

Only one of them was able to remain completely calm and rational about the whole break-down: Satsuki. When I looked into her expression after I heard her float over my head and land softly in front of me, it was as blank as the face of the full moon.

"Calm down," she said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. "Take deep breaths." I hesitated, then did as she said, my crashing heart beginning to slow in my chest and give me room to breathe. "Now drink some ice water, Snow. It'll help you now more than ever."

With shaking, wobbly legs that almost caved beneath me more than once, I stumbled to the kitchen and chugged down water with chunks of ice not made by me down in one gulp. I swiped my mouth with the back of my hand and drank even more, feeling my body and head cool down comfortably enough that the sweat on my forehead and the back of my neck began to dry again.

"Now," she began again, a strangely emotionless smile on her face. "Do you have any ideas on what you're going to wear tomorrow?"

It was obvious she was trying to get my mind away from everything. A day alone with my friends, with no evil or shadows clinging to my side, would be just the thing, apparently. I would be distracted by looking at the wonderful different kinds of fish. By Kukai-kun being cheeky as always, and by Tadase-kun's immeasurable kindness. By Nadeshiko-san's beautiful, lady-like smile, and Yaya-san's sparkling orange eyes. Eventually, all the thoughts flying through my head left me standing completely still in the kitchen, my eyes clouded and unfocused. I could do this. For just a little longer, I could ignore all of the things right out of a horror movie creeping up behind me at every turn. Until it was completely futile not to anymore.

"I have some ideas," I said out loud, my voice ringing hollow. Lilith and Vivian sagged in relief, and Satsuki's smile became genuine rather than forced.

But there was one thing about that night I would never be able to ignore; Lee's mask, whatever it was, had seriously saved my ass.

}{

Saying I had "some ideas" for an outfit last night was a gross understatement. I had to change ten times before I was satisfied, but I was still left shifting nervously and uncomfortably under the unforgiving glare of the sun, waiting for the other Guardians in front of Procella Aquarium. As the minutes ticked by, the volume of the crowd streaming into the large, state-of-the-art white brick building kept increasing, meaning the number of gazes I caught was something to revere, as well. I swiped my bangs away from my face for the millionth time, since I had taken the rare effort of blow drying my hair upside-down to add height to it, and also because I needed something to busy my anxious hands with. Was I early? Would they be there soon? I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to last under direct view of the sun, even with my sunglasses giving nothing from my eyes away to the speculating crowd beside me.

Immense relief coursed through me when a languid autumn breeze grazed my bare legs. I had opted for a high-waisted black skirt rather than pants after thoroughly inspecting the weather report for that day with Lee munching spaghetti beside me on the island, commenting that I should probably wear light clothing if I was sensitive to the heat. His advice was heeded greatly, and the rest of my outfit consisted of a black and white thin striped shirt tucked into the skirt, a black infinity scarf wound around my neck just twice, a thin, light brown belt around my waist, black and white patent shoes, and finally, a small black purse hanging from my shoulder. I was aiming for monochromatic to reflect the conflicting emotions raging within my gut like a wild storm, and even won Vivian's approval. Now my heart was beating erratically as I wondered if I was trying too hard, or if it looked like I was dressed up for a date rather than just a hang out. While we had gone on that picnic last Sunday, we were officially showing up in public together, as friends rather in classmates. I figured it was that fact that caused heat to ride to my face more than just being nervous about what I was wearing.

"Try to relax," Lilith hissed, poking her fiery head out from my purse. "Just be yourself, Snow. Everything will be fine."

"Will we see penguins?" Satsuki wondered to herself, her strange behaviour from last night now a thing of the past. "I really hope there will be penguins. I think I can die happy if there are penguins."

"I'm looking forward to the sharks," Vivian snickered wickedly. "To seeing all those chompers and those cute, beady little eyes..." She actually shivered in anticipation. "I can hardly wait!"

"How about you, Viv?" I whispered so not as to attract attention, reaching inside the purse to prod her lightly and search for spearmint gum at the same time. She handed it to me, her hands brushing lightly against my fingertips as she pushed the metallic wrapper into my palm, and I unwrapped it and began chewing mechanically as she responded.

"Jellyfish," she said, making all of us get a shocked expression on our faces. "What? I think they're cute."

"You would think that," Lilith muttered, and I chose to start ignoring them yet again and disregard the strange looks I got from the sudden rustling and intense motion in my purse while both hands were at my sides. I smiled bitterly as I chewed my gum, which made it look more sardonic than anything, and I wondered if anything in my life would ever be normal again. When I heard Vivian start screaming a few choice words at her devillish sister, and Satsuki openly sobbing at the both of them, I decided, nope, probably not.

All those things were shoved to the very back of my burning mind when I saw Tadase-kun suddenly appear on the sidewalk, his openly blank yet polite expression brightening into a wide grin when he saw me. You could almost hear the sound of an arrow being pulled taught against a bow and being shot straight through my heart when I saw it, and all I could do in return was give this weird, nervous half-smirk and halfheartedly life my hand in return. Thank God that my sunglasses were covering my eyes; the last thing he probably wanted to see was them bulging out of my head.

Only one thing was running through my mind, frantic as a wailing naked baby, as he approached me with an easy, comfortable stride, like we had been friends for years rather than weeks; and it was what Vivian had mentioned last night. That I couldn't really see Tadase-kun as a guy because I was too distracted by putting him on a pedestal and essentially worshipping the ground he walked on. Which was... not entirely false, but I still felt the need to prove her wrong, all the same. And so I took her advice of focusing on more individual parts of him to make myself more aware of his presence.

Which is exactly what I shouldn't have done. As I came to note things that made him non-effeminate, like his hands that were significantly larger than mine, his shoulders that were broader than they had originally seemed, and his jaw that was surprisingly sharp and, well, highschool-quarter-back-like, my face became hotter than the surface of the sun beating down on my head and singing it to bits. Now I was painfully aware of the fact that he was a guy, that he was now standing right in front of me, only about a centimeter taller, and grinning down at me like I was the best present he had ever received on Christmas morning.

"Good morning, Hisayuki-san," he greeted cheerfully, his hands twitching at his sides like he wasn't sure what to do with them. He was dressed normally enough, in simple blue jeans and a beige pea coat, but it still made me unusually nervous just to see him in regular clothes. With the rest of the Guardians around, it was usually hard to notice, but since we were alone...

I gulped down the skittish burning that had ignited in my throat, and announced awkwardly loudly, "Good morning, Tadase-kun!" And internally cringed. People actually turned around to glance and whisper again, and I would've kicked myself repeatedly if I wasn't already drawing attention.

But instead of giving me the strange look all the passerby were, he just gave me that same friendly grin, the one that made me burn more than the sun. "Were you waiting long?" He asked, looking a bit sheepish.

Oh God, I thought to myself. The legendary question. Play it cool, Snow, play it cool, you know what to say... "A little bit," I said with a noncommittal shrug. Genius.

A line was created between his eyebrows as they furrowed in regret. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and I was completely frozen in place with a creepy clown-like smile when he pressed his hand to my forehead. It took all of my strength not to tear away and collapse to the ground in mortification. "You feel a bit hot."

Since I didn't trust myself to do it aloud, I mentally took a deep, relaxing breath, and easily waves his concerned touch away. "I'm fine, really," I said, that same insane smile plastered on my face. "It's not your fault we're stuck waiting out here so long, anyway." To try and play it cool, I shifted my weight to one hip and placed a hand on it, an irritated pout contorting my features. "Where are the others, anyway? I thought you would've come together."

Suddenly Tadase-kun's face was turning that same shade of rose that seemed to haunt his light cheeks whenever he felt embarrassed, and he was far more meek than before. "Actually, um, they aren't coming."

Now it was my turn for my eyebrows to crease. "What?" I asked, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice. "Why?"

"They all had other things to do," was all he said, suddenly fascinating by a blob shaped cloud off in the distance.

Well, so much for a fun, relaxing day. I tried not to let my shoulders droop when the fantasies of laughing and looking at colourful aquatic life together were dashed from my mind. Considering they were the first real friends I'd ever had, I'd wanted to spend as much time with them as possible and bond whenever we could. Any day that wasn't able to happen felt like an entire hour lost on the clock of my life. I bit down on my lip lightly, restricting a sigh that threatened to explode from my throat, and forced a grim smile. "Should we just go, then?" I asked.

Screams of protest erupting from my purse startled the both of us, and I swat the side of it to shut them up. Kiseki stared at me approvingly from his master's side, and I was glad that they couldn't see the look of loss that was surely reflected in my gaze.

Tadase-kun tilted his head to the side curiously, which made his light bangs grace over his eyes and shield one from view. "Why on earth would we do that?" He asked, startling me dumb.

"Well, since it's only the two of us-"

"What's wrong with it just being us?" He asked quietly, sounding a bit affronted. "I'm perfectly fine spending time with just you." His head jerked in the direction of the glossy building that threw beams of sunlight back at us with his easy smile. "Can't we?"

Just you... just you... just you... Those words echoed again and again in my mind until I was able to fully register what they meant with an almost audible click. "What?" I squeaked, and just as I began thinking of spending so much time alone with just Tadase-kun, more startled yelps came from my purse when a Group Love song started blaring from my phone, indicating I had a text. I held up my index finger to Tadase-kun, who smiled and politely looked away.

My eyes widened upon seeing the sender: Yaya-san. I quickly unlocked it with a swipe of my thumb to demand where the heck they were when I saw what is was she sent in full.

All it said was "Good Luck", and there was a picture of her, Kukai-kun, and Nadeshiko-san all simpering and giving a thumbs-up.

Tadase-kun was incredibly blessed to be looking away at that moment, since he didn't have to see me clench my phone so hard it almost broke in two with the most nefarious and muderous smile on my face. YOU IDIOTS.

He turned back to me with a curious smile just as I finished texting back "YOU GUYS ARE WADS". With almost inhuman speed, I chucked the phone back in my purse, earning a cry of pain from Lilith, and grinned innocently. "Yeah, sure, let's go!" I chirped, sounding more at ease than I felt. In reality my heart was doing a feverish and frantic dance in throbbing strobe lights that broke into a seizure when he smiled again and lead the way to the long lineup outside of the glass double doors.

Okay, so we were going to be alone. For a while. I could deal with that. As we entered the building that was singificantly less hot than outside, earning a sigh of relief from me, I pushed my sunglasses to the top of my head only to catch him giving me that same intense but elated look. Despite the interior of the aquarium being dark to accommodate the fluorescent lights from the various and spacious tanks, I slowly slid them down over my eyes again so he wouldn't have been able to register the incredibly frenzied look I had on my face in return. I flashed him a quick thumbs-up and shaky grin, to which he responded with a laugh that made his eyes crinkle at the corners- and me want to shoot myself.

What are we going to talk about? I thought anxiously as I worried my bottom lip yet again. What are we even going to do? Are we literally just going to stare at fish and not even talk? That seems more awkward than any of those "moments" we've shared. I was so distracted with internally screaming and scratching my stupid face off that I didn't even notice when he handed the receptionist our passes and flashed a smile back at me. "Hisayuki-san?" He inquired politely. "We can go in now."

"Oh. Oh okay." I was an idiot. This time I took off my glasses and handed them determinedly to Satsuki in my purse just before they flew out, ready to focus all my efforts on making sure that Tadase-kun didn't regret hanging out with me today.

All of my resolutions instantly dissolved upon seeing the first tank of brightly coloured fish, the aquarium lights dancing across their scales like laser lights. A grin split my face so much I thought my mouth would bleed, and I bolted up next to the tank that covered an entire, royal blue wall, completely intrigued with watching them swim around in an almost synchronized routine and open and close their mouths in large 'Os'.

"They're so cute," I gushed with a giggle as I took in not only the fish, but the elaborate scenery around them. It was meant to mimic the ocean, with fabricated coral reefs and seaweed shimmied to the lapping rythm of the water. Tadase-kun's presence behind me was still making me hyperaware, small flares of heat coursing down my back where he stared, but when I turned around with that same ecstatic grin on my face, he stood beside me and gazed out at the marine life as well, a peaceful expression on his face.

"They really are," he murmured, but he was looking at me from the corner of his eye. I blushed furiously but held his gaze, and soon the both of us were chuckling, completely at ease and amicable since the first time we had met.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

}{

It was one of those days when the thought of napping on the roof of the towering Easter corporation building was impossible to resist.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi languorously stretched out his long arms against the sizzling, slate-coloured pavement of the roof, the hum of industrial instruments and air conditioners a melody that lulled him to sleep every time he lounger up there. The sun was dazzling, so much so that he had even opted for sunglasses that day, but he had ditched the dark jacket he had worn earlier to serve as a blanket to laze on without a care in the world. He felt so warm, so relaxed, that he was mildly surprised to find that he was still awake. But that was most likely because Yoru relentlessly buzzed around him, an annoying fly constantly caught in his trap of a gaze, making complete relaxation impossible.

"I'm bored," he would whine, time and time again as he rolled all over the pavement, the complete opposite of his owner who was perfectly content with losing himself to slumber. "I wanna do something fun, Ikuto. Let's do something."

The dark-haired boy would only grunt in response and turn so he was facing away from the small, annoying cat Chara. Granted, it wasn't like Yoru's present went completely unappreciated; frankly, Ikuto didn't know where he'd be without it. But things had changed since he was a kid, eager for the taste of adventure, experience, freedom. Now he would take whatever chance he got to just let his mind free of its dark cage that it was constantly imprisoned in. He just wanted peace.

But when a soft, feminine voice he recognized instantly called, "Ikuto?", he groaned inwardly and knew that was now impossible.

Utau Hoshina was at his side before he could even respond, her light silk strands of hair dusting across his face in the cool, refreshing breeze. It tickled his nose, but he made no sign of showing it; he was trying to maintain the facade of being completely unconcious, as she knew he was more than likely to be on a gorgeous autumn day such as this. But this time she wasn't buying it; she laid a hand on his side, almost too warm when combined with the sun's heat, and shook him slightly. "Ikuto, come on. Wake up."

"No way," he said softly, so quiet she had to lean in to hear him. He further curled in on himself, conserving as much warmth as possible as a more chilled wind cut through the peace of the day, one arm resting beneath his head and the other curled around himself. "I'm too sleepy."

With an irritated huff, she sat back on her knees, and he could just imagine the familiar way her violet eyes were snapping with his languid attitude. It reminded him a lot of someone else he knew, someone who would definitely make sleep impossible. "You've been acting weird lately," she grumbled, lightly tugging on the hem of his shirt. He didn't bother pulling away.

"Oh really," he droned, his eyes remaining closed despite her presence. "Do enlighten me on this sudden theory."

"It's not sudden," she protested, her velvety voice broaching on anger. "You've been acting strange ever since a few weeks ago. Since..."

She didn't even have to say it. The words stilled on the tip of her tongue, and he continued to essentially ignore her presence. She could make of it what she would; he wasn't going to reveal any information on his escapades with a certain white-haired teenager who happened to be their worst nightmare. Although he would never admit it aloud, those were the only times when he could truly forget his worries, even for a short period of time. Being in her presence was intriguing, considering that it actually made him feel alive- electrified, even. But there was something else about her that made him interested, that made him want to see how far he could push and tease her until something fragile broke and she showed him a truly entertaining show. While it was straightforward and dazzling, her gaze was like that of a venomous snake's, her strange eyes watching every movement like she could strike at any second. Just thinking about it made him grin slowly in anticipation.

Utau Hoshina didn't bother asking what he was thinking about as she observed a smile curl up on his face, the emotion in it frightening but unreadable. She was at a total loss as to why he'd even pay attention to someone like her. When Ikuto and Snow Hisayuki had first met, he had reported it to Easter whilst withholding some details, but Utau fell into shock when she caught a glimpse of his face. It was an expression she hadn't seen on him for a very long time, a sparkle in his eyes she thought had been extinguished long ago. Something about that girl, whatever it was, seemed to bring out the child he had abandoned all those years ago, and it made him... well, happy. That was what irritated her more than anything. She should've been the only one able to bring him happiness. Why did it have to be some freaking Albino Amazon who always had a fierce and toxic look about her.

After having heard her name and the fact that there was a possibility she'd be giving birth to some new Guardian Eggs from Ikuto, Utau had taken it upon herself to do her own research on the girl. It just so happened that she had seen her wandering about the town, the long white hair and tall, skinny frame easily recognizable, a lost look about her. She had two Shugo Chara with her, which shocked Utau beyond belief. It was rare enough for people to have one. She had ended up following her into the Winners of Akutetsu City, and kept it up until she was discovered by that probing, predatory gaze. Even though she would never admit it, she did feel intimidated by her; and it wasn't just that her personality changed Ikuto in a way she could not. It was that shadow that was always cast over her face, those points on the top and bottom of her pupils that made them almond-shaped and cat-like. It was the indiscernible phantom of darkness that plagued her like a shadow. There was something more to that girl than she lead on, and it wasn't just that her Guardian powers were stronger than most; there was something sinister beneath the surface, and it seemed that no one else had noticed it yet. That meant it was up to her to get her away from Ikuto before he could realize it- and potentially get hurt.

She would never allow him to be hurt again.

Aloud, she asked with an agitated expression, "Why are you so interested in Snow Hisayuki?" The dark form in front of her shifted in a motion that could've been considered a shrug if he had been paying attention. "Is it because she has the Humpty Lock that matches your key?"

Like a premonition, the key attached to the white velvet case for his violin caught the sunlight and sent prisms shooting out of it, as if it was winking. It was the exact same design as the lock Snow Hisayuki bore around her neck whenever she was spotted, made of a substance identical to glittering gold and the face of it four diamond clover leaves. It was apparent that no one knew where the two mystical objects came from, but it was obvious they were a pair.

Utau sincerely hoped it wasn't a representation of what her Ikuto and Snow Hisayuki would become.

However, Ikuto made no sign of acknowledgement, which irked her enough to push on even further. "Or is it something entirely different?" She practically spat, her eyebrows drawing down enough that shadows were cast across her face, making her seem more demonic than ever. Still, there was no response, and her hands twitched into talons. She wanted to physically hurt something whenever she thought of him taking an interest in her for unbeknownst reasons. Snow didn't deserve him; she was just another disease trying to infect him, as far as Utau was concerned.

"She's just an idiot," Utau grumbled under her breath, fisting her hands the black skirt of her uniform. Her pale hands seemed to reflect the sunshine like her companion's mirrored sunglasses, which she glared at as her knuckles became white. "She thinks she so mature, just because she's a bit older an overly tall. All she does is laugh like an idiot-"

"She doesn't laugh," Ikuto grunted suddenly, making her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded, horrified that he may have been paying more attention to her than she thought. "Whenever I see her, she has some ridiculous and idiotic smile on her face, like she doesn't give a damn about anything."

"I didn't say that she was humourless," he objected, shifting slightly so it appeared as though he was looking at her, but it was impossible to tell with the sunglasses. "She does laugh all the time, but it's hard to consider it that. She giggles. And not even a cute 'heehee' giggle, but more like 'hurhurhur'." He started to shake and pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh at her expense at a memory Utau was infuriated by realizing that he had.

Utau was speechless. She knew that he spoke to her more than any other girl, that he liked being with her enough not to care what Easter said about it, but she hadn't realized he'd been paying that much attention to her. How many times had they met and shared a laugh she hadn't even realized he still possessed the strength to show? How many times had she made him smile that devastatingly charming grin of his, when she wasn't able to see it? Just how much did he really like her?

Too exasperated to even continue on with the conversation, Utau rose from her seat beside him and glared down at his dark form as he rolled over to face away from her again. She was about to expel a large huff and leave when his cat Shugo Chara floated curiously up to her, his mouth twisted into an intrigued smirk.

"Hey," he began easily, ignoring the glower she shot him. "By key that 'matches the Humpty Lock', do you mean that?" One large, dark midnight cat paw indicated that he meant the key sparkling in the sunlight, each shine catching in his eyes like a fish darting through water. "What's the lock?" He continued, his ears twitching in the wind. "What happens when... you put the lock and key together?"

Utau really did huff angrily this time, not even wanting to think about Snow and Ikuto getting close enough that they cared to experiment that occurrence. "How should I know," she growled before storming off. The heavy metal door closed behind her with an ear-shattering slam.

With a disgruntled snort, Yoru turned his attention back to the coruscating key, looking back and forth between it and his master, apparently lost in thought. He knew exactly what he was thinking about- or rather, who- which in return made him think of the same person. The owner of the Humpty Lock. If no one knew what happened when they came together, then...

Not even Yoru's breath was to be heard as he discreetly unwound the key from the strap of the violin case and hung it around his neck. It weighed far more than he assumed, and he was momentarily dragged down in a flash of panic when he attempted to float away, but he struggled and made it into the air, allowing himself to snicker only when out of earshot. Putting the lock and key together...

...could prove to be the most interesting show yet.

}{

It was only when hours had passed in the aquarium that I realized I was acting like a complete idiot.

Throughout the whole time Tadase-kun and I were there, all I did was literally look at fish and excitedly spout the displayed facts back to him, which he carefully considered and offered his own opinion- by far the sweetest gesture he had ever done. He put up with my whims for so long, answered any questions I had, and directed me to the places he'd thought I'd like to visit the most. I was essentially I child being lead around by a father figure without any regard to the experience he was having, which was totally and completely rude and uncalled for, in hindsight.

The epiphany came to me when were hanging around the shark tanks and displays, and I was immaturely humming the theme to Jaws underneath my breath. I looked back at him to point out their funny-looking eyes- seeming to be almost pure black with a white semi-circle around them whenever they glanced in a different direction- when I saw that his smile was completely at ease and relaxed, and he even seemed amused just to be watching me. With a gasp that cut off my cheerful song (which it was hardly supposed to be), I whirled back around to the shark tank and considered throwing myself to them. What the hell was the matter with me? Here I was, excited to finally get some quality time to build a decent friendship, but all I was doing was whatever I wanted, just like a spoiled brat. I clenched my hands into fists and bit down hard on my lip, shaking with effort as to not punch myself in the face.

The girls- now released from the prison of my purse and assuming their position floating by my shoulder- heaved synchronized sighs. "You think she finally realized it?" Lilith grumbled, trying to hide a snicker- and failing miserably.

"Shut up," I hissed, as quietly as possible so I didn't bother Tadase-kun for what could've been the millionth time that day. "So I got a little ahead of myself. Big deal." I inhaled deeply, held my breath, caught a shark making eyes at me, and released it in one large gasp. "From now on it's about him. We're gonna do whatever he wants."

"But-" Viv said, a pout gradually contorting her usually stoic face. "...Jellyfish..."
"Tough."

"Why don't you try t be more like that?" Satsuki began politely, pointing at something just to the right of me. I glanced over surreptitiously and saw a couple standing not six feet away, their arms wrapped around each other's waists, laughing and having a grand old time. I stared at them for a moment, then turned back to Satsuki with raised eyebrows.

"Because they're on a date," I said simply. "They're a couple. We're not."

Her electric blue eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "That's not what this is?"

I hesitated. "No?" It came out like a question.

"Are you an idiot?" The darkest of the sisters scoffed, rolling her dark orchid eyes heavenward. "Think about it. The other Guardians left you to alone on purpose after you had that little thing yesterday. You're essentially alone- excluding us- and everyone else is off in their own world. You're just here having fun, not doing Guardian business." Her eyes narrowed. "If this isn't a date, what the heck is it?"

An innocent fish startled and swam away so fast it only left bubbles in its wake when it saw the expression on my face. My gaping mouth must've seemed like I was trying to eat it or something, my red face resembling a snapper's. "Oh my god," I began quietly, throwing a glance over my shoulder at Tadase-kun. He had his head tilted up to gaze at the tank that arched over us and left patterns of dancing ripples all over the floor, at the white bellies of the sharks and their tales. "This is a date! MY FIRST DATE!" The last part was whisper-screamed in pure agony and astonishment, and I felt compelled to burst into tears. "I can't believe I didn't notice it! How immature can I get?!"

With a snort at the interrobang, Lilith twirled a tendril of scarlet around her finger and gazed at me serenely. "It's not your first date. What about when you went to see The Avengers with Mao in theatres?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "That wasn't a date. Just because it was the two of us and he bought me popcorn and did the arm-stretch thing..." I felt the blood drain from my face, then rise up all over again. "Jesus Christ."

"Do you think Tadase-sama has realized it?" Satsuki pondered aloud, which earned a derisive chuckle from Vivian.

"More than likely. He has more tact than this airhead."
By airhead, she was clearly referring to me. I glared out at a hammerhead shark, who couldn't even attempt to meet my gaze as it lazily swished its fin about. "What should I do?" I asked, my voice a horrified whisper.

"Apologize for being a dickhead?" Lilith suggested.

After a moment of silent consideration, I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

When I turned back to face Tadase-kun, he was already looking at me and grinning ear-to-ear, making my heart swell in a mixture of guilt and... something else. I tried to return it, but it must've come out looking more like the Joker, since his eyebrows furrowed with worry and he stepped closer to me, lowering his voice so that only I could hear.

"Are you feeling all right?" He asked, sounding not only concerned but also like... he felt bad. That I wasn't feeling well. I resisted the urge to grab his shoulders and yell that nothing about my current mood was his fault, and shook with the effort.

"I'm feeling fine..." I said, then sighed and tried being honest for once. "Well, no, that's not actually true. I just... I'm sorry!" He reeled back in shock at my sudden apology, even though I couldn't see it from the way I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my teeth. "The only thing I've done throughout the entire time here was being a selfish... dummy." Tadase-kun was so bright and kind I'd feel like I had sinned if I cursed in front of him. "Sorry. I bet this wasn't very fun at all..."

I got the exact opposite of the reaction I had expected; I had been bracing myself for an eyeroll and maybe even a bit of a sigh, but instead he was silent for a moment, blinking in astonishment, then he burst into laughter, making the fish dart away from the glass and the people around us flinched.

Not knowing how else to react, I blinked a few times and looked away, facing the bright aqua tank to conceal my scarlet face. Why he was laughing was beyond me; I had put my heart out on the floor for him and now he was essentially stomping on it like we were doing the Cha Cha Silde. I scratched the back of my neck nervously and continued to avoid the gazes of the others visitors, biting down even harder on my lip.

"You're so silly," he chortled, which earned him a good ol' fashioned Mean Look. That made the laughter cease a tad, and he wiped at the corners of his eyes as he regarded me with a new expression- one that had never been directed at me before. But I saw it a lot at school, when Deryn was focusing really hard on something and Will was looking at her with unconcealed adoration. My face heated for an entirely different reason than embarrassment, and the last of Tadase-kun's chuckles died. "You have nothing to apologize for."
I figured he was just trying to be nice. "No, really, I-"

"Hisayuki-san," he cut in, his expression amused. I heaved a sigh and rolled my eyes jokingly, coming down to settle on him again sardonically. "Really. I've been having nothing but fun today."

I stared him down. "You're just saying that."

His blonde hair looked incredibly silky and soft as he shook his head back and forth, wearing a smile that could only be described as honest and gentle. "I'm really not. I'm so glad that you're having fun today." Instead of looking goofily amused, his expression turned sheepish. "This is actually the first time... I've been out alone with a girl."

Now it was my turn to blink in astonishment. Surely he had to be lying. This was Tadase-kun, who was not only the King of the Guardians, but also the ruler of all the girls' hearts at Seiyo Academy- with obvious exceptions (cough Deryn cough). How on earth did someone like him- cute, smart, funny, and nice- managed to evade being alone with a girl all his life? But then again, there I was, eighteen years old and not-bad-looking, having never been on a date myself (that I was aware of). Before I could comment on it, Tadase-kun was fumbling on, his face reddening more and more with each word he said.

"I was really nervous about today." He couldn't meet my eyes, and I found it fascinating- and adorable- that they were the exact shade of his cheeks. It was completely endearing that he was as nervous about being alone with me as I was with him. The murmur of the voices around us began to be drowned out- pun completely intended- by my heart, which wasn't exactly thundering, but seemed to make me more self-aware. He must've been feeling the same way, for his burgundy eyes finally rose to meet mine, pulling out some emotion buried deep, deeeep within me. "Being alone with not just with a girl, but with you. I guess it's perfectly natural to be nervous." He let out an embarrassed chuckle. "You are, after all, the most wonderful girl I've ever met."

"WHAT." And I thought I was blushing before. Ha. "N-n-n-n-no-"

He only cut me off again, smiling in that way that made my heart stop and time slow. "Yes," he murmured slowly, stepping closer. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't back up; my feet were rooted to the spot as I looked straight into his eyes, seeing my own expression- which was surprisingly not-at-all freaky, but more like... intrigued. "You are."

It was one of those moments every teenager had once in their life- one of those what is this that I'm feeling? moments. His grin grew wider and wider as we simply stood, staring at each other, and while it was plainly embarrassed, it made very nerve ending in me ignite. It felt like I was running out of air, slowly being pulled down to drown- no pun intended this time- in a warm pool of water that wasn't exactly uncomfortable. My chest hurt, like my heart and the surrounding organs were twisting into some ball of unidentifiable emotions, but it wasn't an unpleasant pain. It was one that made me smile back at him unconsciously, equally as chagrined, but an undeniable feeling of glee dancing through me, as well.

And it all burst into flames when he suddenly jerked back with a frown.

For a moment, I thought it was me. With a single, final crescendo of a heartbeat, time seemed to freeze when I thought I had ruined everything, the delicate peace we had built, just by looking back at him. Was it something in my smile? Was it my eyes? Did he suddenly realize that he hadn't meant what he said, and wanted to take it back? Whatever it was, it made my Shugo Chara look up at me worriedly, their eyes shining, but we all stopped and narrowed our eyes in confusion when we heard and indignant, "Hmph".

What the heck? We all cast confused looks to Tadase-kun, who was blinking meekly at something below us. Our gazes travelled downwards to see a young girl, no more than six, clinging to his hand possessively, her bright brown eyes batting at him and her mouth spread into a wide, unabashed smile. My first thought was, maybe she just confused him with someone else? But no, even after a minute or so of confused silence, she remained, staring up into his politely concerned smile like it was a rainbow breaking out after a storm.

"Um... who are you?" Tadase-kun asked lightly, aiming for nonchalance. The girl's grin widened, which was slightly creepy with all of her hair peeled back from her face in twin pigtails, and she jerked him back farther. Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand darted out to grab the sleeve of his coat, a cautious look on my face. His head whipped around to look back at me, and turned a lot more pink as he observed my hand on his arm.

"My name is Chisa!" Said the girl, her voice squeaky and high-pitched, just like a mouse's would be if it could talk.

"Okay... Chisa-chan," Tadase-kun continued warily, not shrugging either of us off. "Is there, um, something we can help you with?"

Even more awkward silence. Her eyes moved from gazing adoringly at him to me, still clinging to the smooth fabric of his sleeve, and her eyes narrowed. Like, they narrowed into a glare. Why a little girl like Chisa-chan was glaring at me was beyond me, so I let go of Tadase-kun's sleeve and held my hands up in surrender. There seemed to be a dangerous glint in her eyes as she regarded me, towering above her like a white marble statue, and I grinned nervously.

"There is something," she said quietly, her head ticking to the side. Despite being several heads shorter than me, I got the distinct impression of being a small vermon under the unavoidbale gaze of a praying mantis, its claws bending down just before it snapped my up into its jaws. Involuntarily, I shivered, and I got an are you kidding me? glare from Lilith. "I need to stay with you."

"Uhh... what?" Tadase-kun and I asked at the same time, though he said 'pardon' instead of the apparently more blunt form. I would've taken the time to cut him the same look Lilith had directed at me if I wasn't so, I don't know...confounded

She nodded in complete sureness of herself, her small, pointy eyebrows drawing down in determination. "Yes. Because I love you!" She shouted, throwing herself at his leg. He stumbled forward with a taken-aback grunt, his arm shooting out to stop himself from falling into the glass tank beside me, caging me within his form. I threw my hands up automatically, both in defense and embarrassment, and when he looked up into my face, our noses brushed against each other, just as Ikuto's and mine had nights ago. Except Tadase-kun stumbled away immediately, face aflame, and I didn't have to suppress the urge to yank him back and feel his warmth again- clearly, I was hanging around with Mr. Pervert far too much if he made me feel like that.

"What are you talking about, kid?" I asked in the voice of a pubescent boy when I finally was able to speak again, my heart settled back into its original cavity in my chest.

She snuffed and jerked her nose up at me. Vivian's jaw dropped, like she was the one who just got snubbed, but Lilith started losing it. "What are you, his girlfriend? Are you two dating?"

We quickly looked at each other, like we were asking the same question, then immediately turned back and began shouting out denials. "No, no! We're just friends! There's no way we'd be dating!" Then I stopped waving my hands back and forth in refusal to turn and glare at him, and he noticed the mistake at the same time and looked anywhere but at me. What'd he mean there was no way?

"That's good then," Chisa-chan continued with a brusque nod, oblivious to my hair reaching out to claw at him like Medusa's serpents. "Then you're all mine!"

"Er, why did you suddenly decide this?" He asked, his voice lilting up nervously like the tone of the flute. I let his little verbal typo go and crossed my arms over my chest instead, wondering the exact same thing.

"Because Nobuko-sensei said so!" She exclaimed proudly, and while I reered my head back with a confused expression, Tadase-kun sighed and- astonishingly- rolled his eyes. "She said my destined partner would be wearing black shoes and a beige coat!" All of us skimmed Tadase-kun's outfit in unison, and we had to hand it to her, she had quite an eye for spotting that from a distance away. I put my hands on my hips and looked at her probingly, wondering what to do with this whole situation.

"What should we do?" Tadase-kun whispered to me, Chisa-chan humming to herself and snuggling up against his leg.

I glanced around. It didn't seem like we were grabbing anyone's particular attention, but she must have been there with somebody. "Her parents are probably around here somewhere, looking for her," I mused, earning nods from the Charas. "Maybe we should take her to the reception desk and see if they can page them."

While I thought it was a fairly reasonable idea, when I glanced back down at Chisa-chan, draped all over Tadase-kun's leg, it was clear that the feeling was not mutual. My eyebrows skyrocketed as I observed her glaring and growling at me, like a little puppy when you try taking away its favourite toy. It would've been adorable- only if she hadn't looked completely serious and even a little menacing when doing it. She let go of lover boy for a moment to point a threatening finger at me, her chocolate eyes sizzling like she was trying to scorch me where I stood.

"You!" She spat, and I looked around, like she could've been talking to someone else. "You're the bad woman trying to tear us apart!"

In rapid succession, I blinked twice. "Excus-"
"You are not worthy to stay by his side!" I pressed my lips together and furrowed my brows, at a loss for what to do in a situation like this. "But it doesn't matter what dirty tricks you try! Nothing will ever destroy the fate that brought us together!" And with that, she returned to cutting off the blood running through his leg, and he smiled sheepishly.

Well. She certainly was melodramatic for, like, a seven-year-old. I looked at Tadase-kun appraisingly, wondering if he had any bright ideas, but he only shrugged.

"There's no harm in taking her with us for a bit, is there?" He asked innocently, his wide eyes pleading with me. "We can look around for her parents while we do so. Just for now."

"Sure," I said, and while I was attempting to be nonchalant about it, it came out as a sigh. I had liked spending time alone with him, and we were just beginning to get comfortable with each other- or more uncomfortable, depending how you looked at it. Heat rose to my face with the memory, but Chisa-chan was already dragging him away, so I trudged behind them, keeping an eye out for anyone who could produce the spawn of Satan.

Even though my mood had soured a significant amount, I was quickly distracted by the fish again. There was one in a single tank that was as large as me lengthwise, with eyes that stared straight into my soul, and Tadase-kun laughingly took a picture of me giving two peace signs beside it with a wide, goofy grin on my face. When we inspected a map together, Chisa-chan a leech on his leg, I noticed a certain corner of the large, glass structure labelled "penguins".

Tadase-kun jolted when he caught sight of my expression- probably because it looked like I was having an aneurism. "Penguins?" I repeated, my voice a low hiss. "They have penguins here? At the aquarium?"

Chisa-chan, the snide little brat, rolled her eyes at me. "That's what it says, dummy. Even I can read that."

"We have to go," I said suddenly, bolting in the direction the map indicated, Tadase-kun and Chisa-chan trailing behind me. More than once, I whirled around and yelled at them to pick up the pace, and Tadase-kun smiled and said they were trying each time- like he was telling the truth when he said he was enjoying himself. I returned the grin each time, and Chisa-chan threw daggers right in the place between my eyes.

When we arrived, I could've cried. They were the cutest things I had ever seen in person, especially when they waddled about awkwardly, their adorable little feet not managing to take them very far. They squawked happily with all the attention they were receiving from the cooing spectators, and when one tried jumping off of a makeshift ice berg, it slipped and fell in the aqua water with a large splash that left drops of water running down the glass observatory. I laughed so hard I was on my knees and wheezing, which made Tadase-kun chuckle in return, but Chisa-chan only narrowed her eyes and hissed.

"You're friend's an idiot," she said to him, making my laughter cease and my eyes burn when I glared at her. She cuddled against his leg even further, and now he was so used to it that he patted her head in return. "Thank goodness I'm more mature than her."

There must've been something about the look I got on my face, because Tadase-kun felt the need to jump in. "Yes," he agreed, avoiding making eye contact with me but smiling all the same. "But don't you think she's cute like that?"

He returned his gaze to me, a sly twist to his usual graceful smile, and then it was my turn to avoid his eyes begrudgingly but giggle like an idiot on the inside. There was a warm, comfortable feeling stirring in my stomach, and before I could help it, another smile spread wide on my face and we were looking at each other like nothing could make us happier.

Then Satsuki started screaming.

At first it was because I thought she was having a reaction similar to mine to the penguins, but that assumption quickly changed into something more disturbed, more panicked as Lilith and Vivian were yelling all at once and tugging on my hair. I turned around to scan the crowd for the problem, but so nothing out of the ordinary except for the patrons that moved like weaving shadows from the light of the exhibits. Then my gaze travelled upwards, and I saw it. An X-Egg floating high above the crowd, turning left and right as if it were confused.

I gasped and turned my body fully into a defensive crouch, which in turn made Tadase-kun's eyes dart to the same place as mine, and his expression hardened. It noticed us at the same time and leisurely floated away, seeming to have no worries of us coming after it in a place filled with so many people.

Grinding my teeth together, I stood up fully and took a few steps forward. "I'll be right back," I growled, but before I could push through the crowd, a startled cry came from Chisa-chan as Tadase-kun stumbled forward and grabbed my elbow. It was tense and bony in his grasp, my gaze remaining steely even as I turned back to stare at him.

"You've been working way too hard as it is," he protested, his gaze beseeching mine. "Isn't there anything else we can do? I don't want you getting too tired."

"It'll be fine," I said, my voice just as stony as my eyes. That made his expression fall into utter sadness, but I didn't have the time to reassure him. It didn't matter if I was tired; it was far better than the alternative, children wandering around aimlessly with no light in their eyes. Honestly, I didn't mind seeing bags under my eyes each time I looked in the mirror- so long as I could still stand looking at myself after saving the eggs. That was what really mattered.

I tried to muster up a smile for him, but it was as standard and fake as an emoticon's. Then his warm grasp slipped from my elbow and I began weaving my way through the throngs of people at an urgent pace, not even looking back to see Chisa-chan sticking her tongue out at me.

It was hard to keep track of the Egg, despite it hovering high above the clusters of patrons; the aquarium was dark, only illuminated by the flourescent lights shining from the tanks. Ripples were still cast on the floor, dancing erratically, and all over the rest of the people I pawed my way through as gently yet urgently as possible. Even though it may have been futile, I found myself scanning the crowd for anyone looking Heartbroken, seeking familiar signs such as light faded from their eyes and a dark aura swirling around them, a furious storm amongst a million suns. I saw no such signs, everyone figures of black against the lights, weaving in and out of each other much like the lapping waves within the tanks. I heaved a frustrated sigh and picked up the pace as the crowd began dispersing upon approaching the doors.

Sunlight brightened the back exit through the limitless glass windows and the double doors, providing me with the insight to see the Egg slip through the top of an open one. Unable to discern whether or not that was helpful, I scowled and followed it outside, keeping close to the shadows of the maple trees to remain undiscernable from the public eye. No one needed to see me stalking around like some kind of suspicious weirdo, especially if I was planning on Character Transforming to purify the X.

The X-Egg was only a few yards away, still rotating around, as if it were disoriented. For a moment, before I could even conjure up a plan, my expression fell into one of emotionlessness as I wondered if that's how they all felt. Just lost. Empty inside, their only purpose to seek out something to fill the gaping hole left in their owner's hearts. Then my hands clenched into fists. All the more reason to save them.

"What should I do?" I whispered to the girls, who each rested on my shoulder closest to the Egg. "It's not like I can Character Transform with all these people around." The aquarium was in close proximity to the central park, meaning that on a gorgeous autumn day such as this, many people would be milling about and enjoying it to the fullest before the bitterness of winter turned the world to slate.

"Character Change," Satsuki suggested, still trembling a bit frim her earlier episode with discovering the Egg.

Before I called out the command, I hesitated. Granted, I had Character Transformed plenty of times, which was far more extering than simply Character Chganing. But I had only done it once before with Vivian, and so it remained unfamiliar territory. Options were limited, however, and I set my jaw as I considered who I should do it with. Considering that I'd be chasing the Egg all around, no doubt, and Lilith's expertise was in agility and speed, she seemed like the best bet.

"Lilith," I called, and her face brightened into that thrilled expression she got whenever we came together. She said it was like she had a powerful body of her own, and considering how small they were, such a thing would be a priveledge to them.

She copped off a haughty salute. "Roger!" Her fingers snapped at me, and I felt two elements of her Character Transformation take shape on my body without fully changing anything; my hair was teased up into the high-ponytail with the bat clip, and my neck draped in a long, crimson scarf that grazed the ground threateningly like whips. I could already feel a rush charging through my legs at the speed of light, making my heart automatically beat faster and giving me the need to just run. My eyes darted to the wall, where a janitorial closet was plastered into, different cleaning supplies leaning against it. Additionally, there was a net- which made little sense to me, until I realized they probably used that to fish the aquatic life out of their tanks. I shrugged to myself and snatched it, my hand only a blur with the inhuman speed running through me, and I practically danced up the side of the building only to leap off and try to capture the Egg.

But this one was smart- and quick, too. It noticed me just before the net could land on it and dodged out of the way, leaving me to fall to the ground far below but harmlessly land on my feet. This pattern continued for quite a while, until my breathing was coming out more roughly than before and my arms grew tired from swinging. I gulped down the burning lump that had formed in my throat and raised the net again, preparing to steel my feet against the concrete ground and leap into the air point-blank. Extremities poured from my mouth with my frustration, Satsuki shocked everyone by smacking me right on the back of my head- which didn't really hurt, except for the fact that it was Satsuki doing it.

"That's very unladylike," she scolded, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Instead I mumbled an apology and began surging forward, but screeched to a stop once the view of the X-Egg- bouncing up and down as if it regarded all of this as a game- was disturbed by a flash of blue, black, and a substance resembling diamonds.

"What the-" I nearly lost my footing as my feet tumbled over each other in my clumsy attempt at stopping, and I forced the handle of the net into a crack in the pavement to keep me from going any further. My breath came out in one hot rush, and I glared up at the disturbance, thinking it could've possibly been a bird or something.

What I was not expecting to see was Ikuto's Shugo Chara, with a crystalline four leaf clover key dangling from his neck on a sterling chain.

"I've finally found you, Snow Hisayuki!" He screeched, gesturing to me with one large cat paw. Every time I had seen him, he had been quietly by Ikuto's side, unvocal yet unable to ignore. Thus, I hadn't expected him to look so smug and outgoing- much like his master. He looked almost exactly identical to Ikuto, with shaggy navy hair hanging all in his face, almost concealing his unique pure yellow cat eyes. A large white cross clunked on his chest from his neck, and thw same midnight cat ears twitched atop his head with the passing breeze. In the back of my mind clouded with a dark fog that came whenever an X-Egg was nearby, a single beam of light shone that shocked me out of my momentary concentration: what wish could Ikuto have to give birth to such a character? What would a guy like him desire that he didn't already have?

With a furious shake of my head, I returned to focusing away from the small cat-boy and towards the X-Egg. It was rocketing towards the roof, trying its best to escape what it no doubt had instincts against. I made a move to skirt around Ikuto's Chara and ready to pounce again, but he just moved in front of me once more, screaming with a flash of fangs, "Hey, don't ignore me!"

My lip curled up in irritation, to which he smiled nervously and flinched away from. "Whaddya want?" I snapped, trying to keep an eye on the rapidly fading X-Egg.

"To talk," he answered simply, and I must have looked ready to strangle him, since he quickly elaborated. "It's important, really! I think I deserve some recognition for all the trouble I went to to find you."

My eyes rolled heavenward before coming to rest on him again, and I shifted my weight to one hip with a quirked eyebrow. "What trouble? How did you find me, in the first place? I don't supposed you just followed me from the moment I left my house."

His paw waved dismissively. "Nah, that'd be way too much work. Let's just say the stray cats around here have no problem with blindly following my every order."

I cautiously too a step back. "Like a cult?"

He floated closer, waggling his eyebrows. "Exaclty like a cult."

"Well, that's nice and all, but I really should be-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" He darted in front of me again as I moved to step around him, and before I could attempt to swat him away like an annoying gnat, he brandished the very familiar key around his neck and demanded, "Know what this is?"

I tossed out a wild guess. "A key?" Then my eyebrows furrowed and I cocked my head to the side. "But I swear I've seen it before..."

From beside me, Lilith viciously tore a groan from her throat, and shot up to float directly in front of my neck. She burrowed into my scarf and emerged with the Humpty Lock clasped around my neck, and suddenly I knew why the key was so familiar. It had the exact design of the lock. Which meant that...

"They're a pair," I murmured in astonishment, completely distracted from pursuing the Egg. Gently, I raised my hand to graze the end of the dangling key, taking the weight off of Ikuto's Chara and allowing his small shoulders to relax.

"They are indeed," he sniffed haughtily, as if he was proud of himself for bringing this tidbit of information to me.

"But why did you bring this here, uh..." I paused, a momentary flutter of my heart notifying me that I had no idea what his name was.

His jaw dropped in disbelief. "Seriously?! You don't know my name after all this time?"

I clucked my tongue and looked away. "No one bothered to tell me."

"YORU!" He screamed, throwing a tantrum in midair, with his arms and legs flailing. Night. How apt. "My name is Yoru! And to answer your question, I just wanted to see what would happen if we put those two-" he used his paw to gesture idly to the glimmering objects rushing with magic between us "-together."

"But why?" I pressed, staring into the face of the key. A very low sound, more like a buzzing vibration was tingling my ears, the resounding noise left after two pieces of metal were hit together. It was a resonance, as Tadase-kun had said- meaning that the two artifacts were singing with each other in some sort of harmony, as if they wanted to be whole again.

Yoru simply shrugged in response, oblivious to my decomposition of the dull ringing sound around us. "Because I was bored."

"And what makes you think I'd be willing to actually put them together?" Tadase-kun probably wouldn't be too pleased if he learned that, instead of chasing after and purifying that X-Egg, I was hanging around with his sworn enemy's Shugo Chara and considering putting the matching pair of spellbinding objects together at last. When I had asked if the lock has a matching key, he had deftly avoided the question- meaning that he didn't even like speaking of the two in the same sentence. There had to be some mystery surrounding the two, their origin, and how they came to be apart in the first place. Whatever it was, it was clear they didn't want to be that way any longer- the lock and key wanted to overcome the odds and distance between them, and be accepted together, as one. "How did you get your grubby paws on this, anyway?"

Almost self-conciously, he kneaded his paws in thin air. "My paws are not grubby. And that key didn't just pop out from nowhere." He rolled those disconcerting yellow eyes at me, as if it should be obvious. "It's Ikuto's."

The key fell limp from my hand, and Yoru was left to struggle under its weight once again. Even the clouds in the air seemed to slow as I slowly processed what he had said. Ikuto and I... had the matching key and lock? Like, his key unlocked me- that sounded wrong. I shook my head frantically, hoping to exorcise all sinful thoughts. It wasn't like the lock was mine to begin with- Tadase-kun had said that it was to belong to the one who obtained three Shugo Chara, since that was exceedingly rare. But as far as anyone knew, I was the only one to ever have that many. Could it have been fate for the lock to have become mine, and the key his?

...Why him, of all people?

I threw a surreptitious glance around, asking, "Is he here now?"

He snorted. "No. I like to go off on my own, and he lets me." I couldn't tell which I felt more- relief or disapointment. Both emotions were equally strong and clashing inside me like twin blades. "So what do you say? Wanna try it?"

The gleam in his eyes was much like that of a serpent's- specifically, the one in the Bible story of the Garden of Eden that lured Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. It was hard to resist, and I had to admit that the allure of the two enchanted pieces of the same puzzle was intriguing. So I hesitated only momentarily before extending the lock to Yoru's waiting paws, which cradled the key in a position to insert into it.

Nervous as I was, I couldn't help but feel excited- first I learn that the mysterious, mystical lock actually does have a matching key, and now I was going to learn what happened when the two were together. If the key was really the match, it must have had magic properties as well, and considering that the lock's were so extreme that it permitted humans to take on compeltely different abilities... what kind of power would come forth when the two were combined? I shouldn't have been as anticipating as I was, but it was hard to keep under wraps. The possibilities that were completelt beyond the laws of science were... well, riveting.

Just as the key glinted the edge of the golden-gilded lock, the X-Egg swooped down from its safe pinion in the sky and knocked the two apart. Yoru and I were temporarily in shock, falling backwards in slow motion from the jarring contact, and he slowly but shrilly started to shriek as he realized that the key had been utterly swiped from beneath his nose- and now swung precariously from the X-Egg. Its position was nothing but hazardous, with its smooth shell and spasmodic movements, which meant it could slip at any second. I bolted up from the position of literally being knocked on my ass and tossed the net aside, opting for more drastic measures.

"Lilith, what was that whip called again?" I hissed at her, my voice low and ominous.

She let out an insulted grunt that I didn't remember. "The Serpentine, you dunce! How dare you just forge-"

My thoughts channeling the long, snake-like chord seemed to travel straight down my arm in a rush of electricity, leaving the handle of the leathery weapon in my dominant hand. I cracked it once, just practising to make sure I could handle it properly, and to also threaten the small yet formidable foe. It seemed to begin shaking, little popping noises like Rice Krispies shooting from it.

"Ikuto's gonna kill me!" Yoru howled, over and over again, until I whipped my head around to shoot him the most venomous glare I was able.

"Not today he's not," I said with a grin, which earned me a flattering stare of awe.

Serpentine, as Lilith had called it, was thankfully long and seemingly made of steel- even from the the lengthy distance we stood at, it would reach the egg floating imposingly in the air with no difficulty. With my left hand, I gripped the thong and tugged it once before sailing it in an arc through the air, the cracker snapping against the side of the building as the egg dodged with ease. I ground my teeth together in frustration before realizing that I couldn't see it anymore. I snapped it once against the ground as a warning, and the egg bolted out from the lush scarlet leaves of one of the trees, too close to hope to catch it with a distance weapon such as this. The only hope I had at that moment was to dodge it, but if I had, I would've squished Yoru flat. My foot hesitated before moving, but that's all the egg needed to shoot right for my jaw, causing me to stagger to the right and clutch at it. A bruise was definitely going to begin to form there- I could feel it. Though I'd be more concerned about my appearance when my mouth wasn't bleeding from when I had bit down hard on the inside of my cheek upon the contact.

I tasted iron and just metal in general, and I made a lame movement of trying to wipe it off with the back of my hand. That cost me time in terms of the egg making a U-turn and veering off to hit me square again, and I made sure my teeth were only clenched together before receiving the shot this time. Only, it never came. Instead, there was a sound of rapid shots of thunder- which I soon registered to be footsteps. Before I could turn around to shout at them to move out of the way- regardless of whether or not they could see it- two hot places of pressure pressed hard against the backs of my knees, clutching them almost painfully, and I was literally swept off my feet- my hair being the only thing to get swept up in the X-Egg's attack.

The surprised fish-face came in full force when I suddenly felt too close to the ground for comfort, but there was still something against my side, a stony and flat chest almost flying against the pavement. My saviour's feet darted out from behind them and just in front of us to scrape to a stop, sandy dust kicking up in their wake. I had stopped watching all the chaos and just squeezed my eyes shut and clenched their soft shirt in my hands, unconciously pressing myself closer to them in panic. But once we were safely on ground, I felt a heavy movement of their chest- exhaling a deep breath, no doubt- and a hearty chuckle from above me that I recognized immediately with a groan. "If it ended up in you clinging to me like this, I'd save you a lot more often."

Almost ashamed of myself for not expecting him to show up at all, I flailed in Ikuto's arms- which were shockingly firm and solid despite his lithe panther figure- and only got another throaty laugh. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, put me down, please."

For once he actually did as I asked, and the absence of his warmth pressing against my side left me feeling strangely reluctant to step away even further. Nonetheless, once my feet were firmly planted on the ground yet again, I turned away to hide the glowing rose colour of my face, ashamed of myself for feeling more excited about his presence than I had been with the lock and key. The X-Egg had merely become a fleeting black dot dashing through the sky, and I knew that no matter how far it got, we absolutely had to catch it; not only was it a danger to the owner if left unpurified, but it also had Ikuto's key.

Considering the fact that he came all the way after Yoru to retrieve it... it must have been very important to him.

On that note, Ikuto turned to face his Chara, who flinched and smiled innocently. "Taking off with someone else's stuff... I thought I taught you better than that." The smile remained on Yoru's face, but Lilith very graciously pointed out that he was jittering like a rattling skeleton. Ikuto approached him further, heaved a sigh, and flicked him sqaure on the forehead, which earned a wince from us and a screeching yowl of pain from the victim. "This is your punishment."

"Ikuto," I inaugurated, not knowing what to say, only that I felt hesitant to just let him leave. This was partly my fault for not taking care of the X-Egg sooner, and thus letting it make off with his key. He turned to face me, no sign of his malevolent smirk or grin. His eyes were heavyset with an intense emotion, his mouth drawn into a hard line. I retracted the hand I had been unconciously reaching out towards him, as was a habit of mine, but the action didn't go unnoticed. He watched it fall slack to my side, looking downcast and guilty, and I was surprised to feel him ruffle my hair as he walked by.

"Don't worry about it," he said, his voice not matching his expression, since it was completely filled with warmth. Self-conciously, I laid a hand on my hair to feel where his had just been, surprised at myself for being alright with being touched. Actually, it had always been that way with him, hadn't it? I supposed it felt so natural to be touched carelessly by him that it didn't even matter to me. Which- should've bothered me more than it did, but I pushed that to the darkest recesses of my mind so as to not think about it. "I'll get the key back," Ikuto was saying, and with a single pop of small, glittering indigo particles, his cat ears and tail were on his body, and he was leaping far into the distance, leaving me standing there with my mouth agape.

"Let's help him," Satsuki suggested. "Ikuto-sama doesn't seem to be too bad of a guy."

"Alright, so long as you never call him Ikuto-sama to his face," I bargained, but she only titled her head in confusion. "It'll just pump up his ego, and no one needs that. Lilith?"

"Present!"

Everything about Character Transforming- the water-like space, the red hues, the feeling of having clothes suddenly appear- seemed to be rushed this time, as if the very action understood my urgency of having it happen quick. Once I was released from the space, I struggled to try and cover my almost-bare breasts with the long crimson scarf, since Lilith's outfit was by far the skimpiest. A single insulted huff resounded in my head, meaning she had caught wind of my resentment towards it, but I was too frustrated to care. To nto attract attention, I'd have to stick closer to the trees than anywhere else.

With one powerful leap, I practically flew to grasp on to one strong branch of the nearest maple, swinging precariously before flipping myself to land safely on its surface. I poked my head through the warm-coloured leaves, trying to locate the X-Egg and Ikuto. They were there, albeit very far in the distance, the X-Egg trying to gain more altitude and Ikuto gracefully leaping after it. He really did look like a big, dark jungle cat from a distance, from the way his feet so obviously landed delicately on each surface he launched off of, to the way he angled his body in the air. I caught myself staring at him in awe- and something else unidentifiable- and shook myself out of it, swinging dexterously from branch to branch like a monkey.

Despite the seemingly grave situation, it was more than easily to simply feel the branches beneath my hands, the rough bark scraping against my palms with each swing, and completely sacrifice myself to the enjoyment. I found myself grinning ear-to-ear as I flew through the air, the wind whipping my ponytail and scarf against my bare back.

With one final leap, I was on the ground again, watching as Ikuto bolted up from a street light to the roof of a building where the X-Egg hovered tauntingly. I got briefly distracted watching Ikuto from below, a rush of autumn wind causing the world to quiver and make his dark hair flow out from his face. It really did look like he was flying. I could almost see some kind of tainted wings on his back, once white but fading to a darker slate as pain and time ebbed their beauty away. He looked... so far away from me. With a slap of my palm to my forehead, I braced my legs and leapt up after him, and his eyes slid over to me in surprise when he saw me rocketing up beside him.

"Snow," he murmured, somewhat drowned out by the wind, like he couldn't believe it was really me. I flashed him a grin and thumbs-up, which he returned with a smile softer than I had ever seen. We came to land on the roof together with simultaneous thuds of our shoes smacking against pavement, mine the click of heels and his the thump of sleek motorcycle boots. After straightening from our positions of bending our knees in bracing for the landing, he placed one hand on a hip and I crossed my arms warily. He noticed that, as well; though his only response was the quirk of an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Thought you hated me," he reiterated, reminding me of our conversation from last time with a flush and a wince. I had said that- more than once, though it was more out frustration and embarrassment than truth. I shifted uncomfortably under the sizzling sun and his probing gaze, wanting nothing more than to go jumping off the very building we stood on.

Finally a witty response popped in my head, and I concealed my smug grin as I flipped my ponytail back over my shoulder. "Just because I dislike you doesn't mean I'm a bad person who won't assist someone in need." I couldn't bring myself to say the word 'hate' again; it had always felt too strong for me, even after all of the struggles I had been through. I expected him to drop the subject after I had said that, but he made me jerk in surprise when he started chuckling to himself again, the pompous effect I was going for apparently lost.

"Whatever you say," he snickered, poking my bare ribs with his elbow. This time I did shrink back, not at all comfortable with him pressing his bare elbow to my essentially naked torso. It must have been an off day for him as well with the way he was dressed that permitted the rolled-up sleeves of an oxford blue button down, a white undershirt with a cross hanging from a long chain bumping against his chest, and distressed dark wash jeans. He gave me a curious look when I slowly put a hand to my forehead and shook my head slowly, oblivious to the fact that I was having an internal crisis from the way he looked, superficial as it was. "The Egg's getting away," he pointed out with an audible smile, and I lifted my head so quickly I got a rush to see the X-Egg freeze in surprise as it neared the edge of the roof, then slowly turn around to see me rushing at it.

It immediately dodged out of the way as I reached a hand out to grab it so quickly it was just a blur, leaving it to bolt right off the roof and into the air. I grit my teeth as I jumped after it with a momentary rush of panic at being in the air with nothing to grab hold of, then I quickly changed tactics to pushing myself off the sides of the two adjacent buildings, reaching up each time to attempt grabbing at it only to have it dart away. By the third time the cycle repeated, I was standing uniformly on the roof opposite to the one Ikuto was on, letting out an infuriated groan. This was seeming more and more impossible.

Just as the thought popped in my head, one frighteningly large phantom blue cat paw came soaring through the air to swipe at the little guilty party, and it missed its mark by only a hairbreadth. I looked back in surprise to see Ikuto standing casually in the place I had left him, one arm raised and cast in an eerie midnight fog, clearly controlling the massive attack. To be honest, I had expected him to leave all the work to me. Suffice to say, I was more than shocked- and a little flattered- to see that he was actually helping, and I felt my chest warm and squeeze at the sight, as if the very paws tearing through the air were kneading straight into my heart with their powerful claws.

Yoru was suddenly floating beside, his voice low and urgent as he said, "Ikuto will distract it. Use that chance to catch it!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," I growled with a feral grin, waiting in a ready position for the perfect time to strike. Ikuto looked at me, saw I was ready, and flung out his hand further, which shot out more claws slashing into the air around it, leaving it to weave and dodge in a panic. I used that chance to pounce into the air once again, and I practically did a screwdriver spiral downwards to get in front of the X-Egg before cracking the whip in its direction.

Regardless of all the commotion working around us, Serpentine seemed to maneuver through the air all on its own to eventually clench and squeeze around the X-Egg, which earned a large, almost human squeak. I focused all the desires I felt- the need to save it, to salvage Ikuto's key- right into my hand, which channeled directly into the weapon and showered lava red, flame-like sparks straight through it and into the egg. It began to glitter brilliantly in the same colour, as if being embraced by warmth and passionate feelings, until the oily black coat of darkness on it slicked off and evaporated into the air like a heavy, diluted smog. What was left in its place was the ever-comforting sight of a pure white heart's egg, completely still in the whip's grasp unlike its tainted self, shining with an intensity only known to pure hearts.

All this within the course of only a few seconds, and I landed back on the roof with another clack of my boots' heels. With a bubble-like popping, Lilith's and my Character Transformation came undone, leaving the egg to be free and soar back to its owner. With one powerful swing to bolt back to the direction of the aquarium, the key was freed from its slippery place on its shell, and I automatically started running to catch it- before it could drop to the ground and shatter into thousands of glittering fragments.

Once it landed safely in my hands, pulsating with a heat that could only be described as magic, I grinned back at Ikuto while calling, "I got it!" He saw it clenched tightly in my hand and his entire frame seemed to sag in relief, before his expression slowly melted into a mask of horror. Before I could ask what was wrong, I saw him shift into a position to run just before I felt myself slowly tipping sideways.

It was that suspenseful moment that you sometimes saw at the end of a very dramatic movie, when the main character, say, was trying to jump off a bridge but changed their mind at the last second. However, it was too late for them to change their mind, and they were already plummeting from the bridge towards their inevitable death, filled with nothing but regret and fear. The only difference was that in my instance it was anything but intentional, and I had three fairy-like girls shooting after me and screaming my name as my hair whipped around like a screen of snow. They always say that falling happens in slow motion, and then I decided that, whoever "they" are, were filthy liars. It happened all too fast, my face burning from the rushing wind, and there was absolutely no time to try anything, let alone another Character Transformation or Change. That left me to start screeching in a very low-pitched, unconvincing way, like I was falling sarcastically. Funny how I could never be serious when the situation called for it, even if it meant breaking a few things- possibly even... death.

Before I could even begin to fathom what it would feel like to go splat against the ground, I sucked in a shocked gasp of the burning air when I saw Ikuto's dark form go diving after me, his cat ears and tail still out, with one hand extended. That didn't leave me to give very much effort, since my arms were already hopelessly outstretched towards the infinite maya blue sky. I almost choked in relief when I felt his warm hand squeeze around mine, so hard that all of my bones were forced together and my knuckles cracked, but then I fell completely silent when he pulled me straight into and just held on.

Now that seemed to happen in slow motion. Whether it was out of pure astonishment, or not wanting the moment to end, I didn't know. But it didn't change the fact that it was the first time in my whole life that I had been just held close by someone other than my family. Even Mao knew not to come that close because of my inevitable reaction of flinching away, leaving me without full-on human contact for quite some time. And I wasn't just being held; it was a merciless, breathtaking squeeze that left me with no other choice but to grab on to his wide shoulders and widen my eyes, which were tearing up slightly from the whipping wind- the closest thing I'd been to tears in more than a decade.

Little time was left to savour the feeling of it all, because he was flipping me in midair, situating my flailing body into yet another princess carry so he could land roughly on his feet. The sound resounded against the pavement, and I felt the contact reverberate straight through his legs with a wince of sympathy. That even sounded like it hurt, and that theory was proved right when his knees buckled beneath our combined weights with a manly grunt, leaving both of us to crumple to the ground. Or rather, he let go of me mid-fall and fell into the grassy area beneath the blazing maples, and in the momentum I pinwheeled in the air for a moment before collapsing on top of him, which solicited another grunt- this one sounded more like the wind had been knocked out of him.

The moment was compeltely still, the only sound to be heard the wind, the stuttering beat of his heart, and Lilith and Vivian's raucous laughter at our awkward position. Which was, admittedly, the most awkward position I had ever been in during my eighteen years of life. At that moment I did have the time to fully speculate the feeling of being held, and it was... strange. Ikuto's body was only beneath mine, his arms flung out at the sides, but I felt the warmth it gave off completely set each of my nerves into infernos. My hands were presses between both of our chests- a blessing in disguise- and by far the strangest thing I had ever felt was another heartbeat beneath my hand. His was so strong, albeit quick and stuttering, and each time he heaved a breath in and exhaled, his chest moved, moving me along with it. At the back of my mind, I was thinking, what the fuck?, but the thought occupying me front and center was how nice it felt. Honestly, the fall did hurt, probably him more than me, but I was just so warm, and I felt so safe... for the first time, I understood why couples would look for any possible excuse to hold each other. The feeling was irreplaceable, especially after going without it for so long.

I heaved a sigh with one powerful exhale, which made him jerk beneath me, in turn setting off a chain reaction of me clutching his shirt tighter in surprise, the girls' laughter ceasing completely, and his heartbeat stumbling twice and picking up harder than before. My lips were hovering right above the curve of his shoulder, so no wonder he got chills down his spine. On another note- a note from the more smug part of me- I felt more than a little accomplished to know that I was making his heart pound like that, be it from the fall or... the, er, laying. Even though I was well aware of what tended to make people's hearts beat faster, I supposed I just assumed... that his was unmoveable. Carved right from stone and set in place, chains locked around it tightly so it could never be swayed. It was the air of confidence and aloofness that he gave off, the way he hardly ever smiled, the way he teased and prodded people for his own amusement. But his heart beat like any other human's. Even though there was no flush to his cheeks, or anywhere else, our hearts were reacting the same way.

It was more than a little odd to think, to realize that my enemy's heart beat just the same as mine. It made him seem more human. Less like a monster who shattered children's dreams just because he was following orders.

My shocked expression finally fell, my jaw clicking back into place with an aching clack, but I still didn't move. I knew I'd have to soon, but I had finally come to a sort of epiphany, and it just felt right to be lying there like that, finally consumed by someone's warmth after such a long time. Everything around us seemed to still, even the breeze quieting to a low hush that skimmed the grass and moved the leaves, and I felt his tense shape relax against mine. Slowly and deliberately, almost like he was hesitating, his arms moved to come closer to me and rest his hands on my back.

It was clear to understand why; he hadn't wanted to scare me away. But that was exactly what happened. The voluntary touch was so unpredicatble that it jolted me out of my little, ahem, "carnal" fantasy. I jumped away like he was a burning coil on the stove that I had accidentally and forbiddingly laid my hands upon, which sent me almost flying back on the pavement. Lilith and Viv started chortling all over again, apparently finding my awkward fumbling the most amusing form of entertainment out there, and my body seemed to finally register what happened in full with a rush of pure red to my cheeks.

It would've been pointless to ask things I usually did, like why did that happen?, or why didn't I push away?, or the infamous what is this I'm feeling? I knew the answers to two of them, and the last one would always throw me for a loop. So I decided to let it be, that electric feeling still clinging to me like a second skin. Ikuto stared at me appraisingly, and while I debated on whether or not I should meet his gaze head-on or continue to evade it, I heard him heave a sigh- of relief.

Only then did it occur to me that he had saved my life. He had jumped off a building for me. It didn't matter of it was only to get his key out of my hands safely; the fact was that he had risked his own life for mine. And I had no way to repay that. That was the second time he had done as such, and that left me again to ponder just who exactly he really was.

"Thank you," I murmured at the same time that he said, "Thanks." We caught each other's eyes and gave identical sheepish looks, then carefully rose into firm standing positions parallel to each other, Ikuto completely still and confident as opposed to my fidgeting, blushing self. "For saving me," I added, and he just waved it off. But I wouldn't.

"Then thanks for this," he offered, holding his hand up to show me that he had somehow managed to swipe the key, its glimmering chain wound around his fingers and throwing prisms in every direction from the sunlight. "See ya," he finished as he turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets as he began to walk away.

But I wasn't done with him yet. Somehow it just felt like there were so many things left unsaid, and I still had something important to ask him. "Wait!" I called, and he turned only halfway, making it difficult to read his expression. "Why..." I had to gulp down the strangest lump that had unknowingly formed in my throat before continuing. "Why do you have... that key?"

Instead of fully turning to face me like I admittedly expected him to, he turned away again, his hair flowing through the air like ink through water. "Who can say."

Now I was getting angry. He was always so cryptic, intent on teasing me and withholding all the important information, leaving me in the dark to aimlessly grope around for a light all by myself. I had had enough f that in my life already, and I was sick of having the one person I really didn't mind being around- and even touching me- keep on taking the role of my enemy, when it was clear to the both of us that we could never be like that. It just wasn't possible. I didn't want to even imagine us fighting against each other for real and not just firing one-liners at each other; it was too grim, and it hurt me deep in a cavity of my torso to even think about.

"Why won't you tell me anything?" I growled furiously as I threw my hands up in the air. "You always act like you're the baddest of the bad, but you're not. If you were, you'd have just let me fall and crack my freaking skull open!" To my utter astonishment, he flinched slightly at that, like the image of blood turning my snow-white hair completely crimson physically affected him. "And these moodswings! One second you're full of gratitude and-" I had to gulp down again "-and touching me, then the next you're all equivocal and just a general douchebag!" My hands came to rest limpy at my sides again as I finished, "You're always like that."

His response sonded vaguely amused. "You're globalizing."

"Only because you give me reason to!" I had begun to shake, the veins in my hands shifting slightly into the more intricate patterns that indicated I was getting slightly out of control. "Why did you put the blame on yourself that day at the sports festival?" That part was an accident; I hadn't ever intended to bring it up again, but it did managed to get enough of his attention that he turned back around and looked at me, his expression unreadable. "Why didn't you just tell me whatever you're thinking about, instead of leaving me to decipher it like some sort of code? Why did you let me believe that you were the bad guy?!"

His expression shifted slightly, from stoic and expressionless to slightly rueful, his eyes taking on a metallic glint that sliced right into my chest. "Who cares?" He asked in return, and those words carried a more despondent meaning than he could've ever known. He was suggesting that there was no one there for him to care; that he was the bad guy because it didn't matter to anyone else what he was, so long as he followed orders.

That only managed to get my face flaming in rage, my hand unconciously clutching at the lock around my neck as I proffessed, "I do!" Before I could even attempt to back away, he was rushing at me, thunder in his step, catching my wrist in that electrifying grasp and using it as leverage to tug me into the wall. My breathing was more like panting as he had me pinned there, his body completely tensed up and aggravated, and I glared up at him with all the ferocity I could muster- which was about on par with a kitten's.

"Why should you?" He demanded harshly, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut and curl my hand in his into a fist. "You don't know the first thing about me."

"So you keep saying," I gritted out through clenched teeth. "But you're the one who keeps on coming around and giving me insight. If you really wanted to remain all enigmatic and secretive, you could've." I opened my eyes once more, not to glare, but rather to just stare into his, trying to pull what it was he really wanted to say out of him. "But you didn't."

He grumbled something like, "Who's fault do you think that is?" But before I could comment on it, he held the key up to my eye-level to further examine, and actually began to answer my question for once. "The Dumpty Key. It makes a pair with your Humpty Lock. It's a mystery why the two are together, but..." He trailed off, a distant look coming into his fathomless eyes that stared right through me. "They were made for each other."

"Made for... each other," I repeated, more slowly as I was processing. What could that have meant? What even managed to give them their powers? That was what I should've been wondering, but all I could focus on was how close he was again, and how I could freaking smell the boy, a mix of mint and something more spicy, and it was driving me insane. Another first he gave me: it was the first time I had begun to wonder how it would feel to touch a boy, and not in an innuendo sense. It was like I wanted to memorize the way he felt, the way his cheekbones were sharped and carved into high arcs, his eyelashes so long and dark they looked like masacara. When I averted my gaze again, not wanting him to realize what was on my mind, I ended up staring at his hand clenching around my wrist, and couldn't resist noting how much larger it was than mine, with longer fingers and clean, squared-off nails, while mine were longer and sharp. It was a guy's hand, and each time I had to remind myself that physically, we were very different, I ended up embarrassed and too-aware all over again.

"Let me go," I hissed defensively, trying not to let him feel that I was beginning to shake.

"Hmmm," he drawled aloud, and I swivelled my head to glare at him. Naturally, he was grinning, but its sardonic effect was shoved down the drain when he was so close to me. It looked more like a smile that implied something was about to happen, and that he was going to enjoy it. "I dunno. I'm liking this."

"Whyyyyy," I screamed in a whisper, and I stared at his chest moving up and down with restrained laughter. I knew that some guys did enjoy playing and teasing with girls, but this seemed a tad bit extreme. He didn't have to do it every time we saw each other. It should have made me like him a lot less, but in all honesty, I didn't mind when he was around. Though I was starting to get pissed with him just being flippant when we were supposed to be having a serious conversation, and I knew that he was just trying to distract me with all this touchy-touchy stuff. And we both knew it was working.

"But to answer your question," he murmured, apparently sobered up again. "I'm like this because I can't be around anyone else."

That struck a chord within me, a shiver reverberating through my body with the vibrations and leaving me completely still in the end. I understood what he was saying- even though I was confused about it, as well. He was implying that he was comfortable enough around me that he could be carefree, when it was evident that he normally could not. As I looked up into his eyes, cloaked with a dark sorrow that was reflected in my own, I pondered what exactly his situation was, and why he couldn't do what he wanted. I wanted to know much more about him- to help him, even. Even if he didn't believe I did, and even though I should not, I cared about what happened to him. But something else was bothering me...

"Why only me?" I asked, my voice barely even a breath.

He smiled again, but this time it had no sardonic intentions, but purely charming ones. "Dunno," he teased, the wind blowing his hair into my face. It tickled like the dustings of feathers, and I found myself trying to turn my head away from them with a disgrunted expression and he laughed again. "Guess you're just that charming."

"That sounded like sarcasm."

"I suppose you'll never know."

Just as I was about to fire another comeback at him, both of us lifted our heads to the sound of footsteps drumming against the concrete path, gentle but urgent. It went without saying that Tadase-kun was mortified at the sight of us when he rounded the corner, Ikuto using his legs to pin mine against the rough brick wall and clutching my wrist above my head. A flash of guilt shot through me, hot and shocking as lightning, when I realzied how bad what I was doing really was, regardless of whether or not I got swept up in a mood. My male companion seemed to be frozen in place as he stared us down, and then his face changed suddenly, to an expression I knew he only showed when the Easter employee was involved.

"Hisayuki-san!" He called out, apparently under the impression that I was being pinned against my will. Which wasn't techinically untrue, but I hadn't been resisting very much, either.

As he approached at more of a run than before, Ikuto released me, and I rubbed my wrist where his hand had just been. It felt- well, obviously not cold, but less warm. More empty, almost lonely. The only thing that lifted my head from staring at its strange smallness was Iktuo leaping a fair distance away, a twisted little smirk on his face, and Tadase-kun running in front of me, throwing out his arms as if to protect me. I blinked a few times at the sweet, if not unneccessary gesture, and smiled a little to myself.

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi!" He began, gritting his teeth together so much I could hear them grinding against one another. I winced away from the sound, but Ikuto's smirk only widened. "You're after the Humpty Lock again, aren't you?"

Completely to Tadase-kun's dismay, Ikuto just let out a single chuckle- more of a snort, really- turned his back, and began walking away. Yoru trailed after him, looking back at me and flashing a devious smile, which I scowled at. He'd better not bring that much trouble around again.

"We'll never let you have it!" Tadase-kun was continuing, his volume and temper rising. I had never seen him so agitated before, his skinny frame in front of me shaking in fury. I hesitated before laying my hand on his shoulder, and after he flinched in surprise, he exhaled and seemed to calm down slightly.

"It's okay," I said, attempting to be soothing but just sounding worried. "Nothing happened. I'm okay."

His eyes were filled with disbelief. "Really?"

I nodded, this time managing a reassuring smile. "Yes, really."

Seeming to have overheard or conversation, Ikuto suddenly decided that he wasn't done being a shit disturber yet, and turned back around with flourish and a suggestive look on his face. "What makes you think," he began in a low voice, his head slowly inclining to the side, "that the Humpty Lock is the only thing I'm after?"

Well, what else could it have been? All my eggs had hatched already, so he couldn't mean that he was waiting to see if one was the Embryo... While I struggled to identify his meaning, Tadase-kun seemed to get it immediately, and instead of tensing up even further, his whole body just seemed to go lax in shock. "You can't mean..."

Ikuto's grin grew so wide that he flashed his teeth, but his eyes were a completely different story. They were cast in shadows again, his eyebrows drawn down almost angrily, and it struck me that he looked like he was enjoying watching the younger boy's shock- in the most twisted way. With only a momentary crouch, he sprung into the air and landed delicately on a dead street light, his back to us and tail swishing back and forth in satisfaction.

"See you..." He looked between Tadase-kun and I, and added, "Snow." Tadase-kun jerked back like hearing my name had shot him straight through the chest, and I caught both of his shoulders so we didn't have a full-on collision. Ikuto turned around very precariously on the street light, and called, "By the way."

We looked up at him with matching glares, wondering what else he could possibly want, then were instantly confused when we saw he was cupping his hands around his chest like he was holding something there. Yoru, Lilith, and Viv were in hysterics, seeming to get the joke we did not, but finally did when he said, "Nice boobs."

My arms fell slack to my sides. Apparently my reaction was so hilarious he almost fell from his perch, clutching at his gut and trying not to fall over. Tadase-kun looked at me, a combination of varying emotions swirling on his face, none of them matching my completely blank expression.

Which was broken with an almost audible snap as my face exploded and I screamed, "YA SICK SON OFFA-", only to fall on deaf ears, since he was already bounding out of sight, his snickers carried to my ears by the wind.

I was ready to kill him.

"What was he talking about?" Tadase-kun hedged warily, and I clenched my teeth together.

"Just forget it." He looked like he was about to object, so I fumbled for a new subject. "Did you end up finding Chisa-chan's parents?"

He seemed to sag in relief about escaping the other conversation, and his usual easy smile returned with grace. "Yes. Turns out they weren't too happy about their daughter going missing for almost two hours." He shrugged. "Who would've guessed."

I giggled- actually 'teehee' giggled- in return, when Vivian floated up to glare at me right in my eyes. Before I could ask what she wanted, she gritted out, "We still haven't seen the jellyfish." Everyone rolled their eyes in unison, but Tadase-kun's smile just widened and he suggested we all return to the aquarium.

"Sure," I agreed easily, looking forward to seeing even more fish- and attempting to erase the whole Ikuto incident entirely from my mind. We began striding away, taking our time in enjoying the walk and the breeze, my hair flowing out behind me in such a way that it looked like- embarrisingly enough- streaming milk. I ran a hand through it, attempting to salvage what was left of its usual braided style from the fall, when I noticed Tadase-kun had stopped.

I turned around again to face him, saw him standing there in silence, and a curious smile summoned to my face. "What's the matter?" I asked, though it came out more like "what's a mattah". I blushed slightly and ran my hand over my mouth, mentally yelling at myself for letting the dialect out, and was astonished to see his cheeks turn to lovely pink roses again.

"N-nothing," he stammered, suddenly taking an interest in a nearby maple.

"Weirdo," I laughed easily again, satisfied to note that I didn't sound like a state-hick anymore. He joined in, albeit sounding far more mortified, and our chorus of laughter echoed in the far-off sky as we finally seemed to properly connect, true friends at last.

No one, not even the Guardians, would have guessed that it was the last day things were ever going to normal again.

Since that was a cliffhanger, imma just leave you guys with it...

Thanks for reading, and look forward to next time!